An Indian Premier League match can soon be staged in Australia, according to a report, after it was officially announced that the season-opener of the Big Bash League 16 will be played in Chennai on December 12 this year.
The BBL game to be played at Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium will pit defending champions Perth Scorchers against Melbourne Renegades. The Melbourne Renegades were selected as the inaugural host team partly because they have greater scheduling flexibility following the end of their arrangement to play matches at Marvel Stadium.
The match was officially announced in a joint-statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Cricket Australia is optimistic that the BBL match in Chennai will evolve into an annual event and eventually be complemented by IPL fixtures in Australia. CA has extended an "open invitation" to the BCCI to stage matches from the world's biggest T20 league in Australia. according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.
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The Chennai event is expected to feature a wider programme including business forums, cultural festivals, film events and networking opportunities alongside the cricket match. This also comes at a time when CA is contemplating discussions around private investment in BBL franchises.
The report also states that the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional competition of Australian rules football, is set to unveil a new India engagement strategy aimed at increasing participation in the sport within India while also strengthening its connection with Australia's Indian diaspora. However, there are currently no plans to stage an AFL match in India.
On Thursday, AFL executives, players including former North Melbourne AFLW player Zoe Savarirayan, the first player of Indian heritage to feature in the AFLW, and representatives from the Indian community
The IPL is widely regarded as one of the world's most valuable sporting leagues in terms of media rights revenue per match, drawing comparisons with the National Football League of America. While NFL games are regularly staged in overseas markets, IPL matches have previously been held only in South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
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