2023 seems to be a watershed moment for franchise cricket leagues—SA 20, IL T20, MLC 2023, Zim Afro T10, and the revival of Global T20 Canada.
Feel like you can’t keep track anymore? Well don’t worry, we are here to help you.
Key Takeaways
There are 15 professional leagues in cricket, from which 13 are franchise leagues and two are domestic T20 competitions that attract a variety of overseas stars (Vitality Blast, Super Smash). From the 13 franchise leagues, two are T10, one is in the ‘hundred’ format, while the other 10 are twenty20 competitions.
In 2023, October is the only without any major cricket league competition since October 5 – November 19 is reserved for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
From November 23, 2022 to September 24, 2023, there were only 20 days where franchise cricket was not scheduled (December 5-12, March 19-30).
If we count all the date ranges for the 15 major T20 tournaments, there were 509 days of cricket (greater than 365 because several leagues are now overlapping with each other. Also domestic tournaments like the Vitality blast tend to be spread out longer with breaks. Actual cricket might not be played every day).
Cricket Leagues Calendar – By Season
November-February: Abu Dhabi T10, Big Bash League (BBL), Super Smash, Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), South Africa T20 (SA T20), International League T20 (ILT20)
February-May: Pakistan Super League (PSL), Indian Premier League (IPL)
May-July: The Vitality Blast (also good time for a World Cup window), TNPL
July-September: Major League Cricket, Global T20 Canada, The Hundred, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Shpageeza Cricket League*, Road Safety World Series, Maharaja T20 Trophy
October: Window for world tournament (or…Champions League), Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
List of Cricket Leagues: Top 15 Franchise, T10, & T20 Competitions
*Note: The date ranges are either from last year or the upcoming 2023 season if it has not happened yet. We first start with the Abu Dhabi T10 league from November 2022.
18. Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL): June 12 – July 12
Country: India
Number of Seasons Played: 7 (2016-)
Number of Teams: 8
Days Played: 31
*regional T20 league
19. Karnataka Premier League (Maharaja Trophy T20): August 14 – August 30
Country: India
Number of Seasons Played: 8 (2009-)
Number of Teams: 6
Days Played: 17
*regional T20 league
20. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: October 16 – November 6
Country: India
Number of Seasons Played: 15 (2006-)
Number of Teams: 38
Days Played: 22
*domestic T20 league, but gaining prominence over the years
List of Defunct Cricket Leagues
Euro T20 Slam, Mzansi Super League (South Africa), KFC Twenty20 Big Bash (Australia), Inter-Provincial Twenty20 (Sri Lanka), Stanford 20/20 (West Indies)
Final Thoughts
Leagues are propping everywhere, World Cups are now sandwiched between the leagues, and bilateral cricket is going nowhere.
The ODI Super League is now extinct (although Netherlands’ brilliance might force a rethink), the World Test Championship shows promise, but could be improved. The haphazard year-around schedule impacts logistics, mental health, injury management, and causes early retirements.
Until a stable international cricket calendar is formed, we will have to form the cricket calendar according to the franchise leagues, with the Indian Premier League in the center as the marquee event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many T20 leagues are there in cricket?
There are 15 T20 leagues in cricket – 10 T20 franchise leagues, 2 T10 leagues, 1 ‘hundred’ ball tournament, and 2 domestic T20 competitions.
How many franchise leagues are there in cricket?
There are 13 franchise leagues in cricket (10 T20, 2 T10, and The Hundred).
What is Bazball in cricket? Bazball is a fresh aggressive approach coined for England’s new Test coach, Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is ‘Baz.’
Why are we discussing Bazball in cricket in 2022?
Since captain Ben Stokes & McCullum took over, England cricket team’s record in Test match format has been astonishing: WWWWLWWWWW. This includes seven wins at home against New Zealand, India, & South Africa and 3 away wins in Pakistan. The manner of victory has been even more mind boggling—An innings victory and six wins with 5 wickets or more.
When you type ‘Bazball’ in Google Trends, you get this image below. With England’s astonishing consecutive fourth innings chases in Test match cricket, especially with the 378 against India, no wonder that interest in this term has really, really piqued in the last few days.
But what in the world is Bazball? Can someone be Bazballing? Could you become a Bazballer? Is it a noun, verb, adjective, or all of the above?
Don’t worry, be happy.
Today, we will help you out and try to answer this exact answer—The who, what, where, when, and how of Bazball!
While writing this unofficially official definition of Bazball, we took inspiration from the Merriam-Webster dictionary. We make an honest attempt here to write this definition similar dictionary format—part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), phonetic pronunciation, variants, examples, and more!
Bazball noun | b-aa-zzz-böl variants: Bazballing, Bazballer, Bazballed, The Bazball Effect 1. The purpose and intent of Bazball is to completely annihilate the opposition, abruptly change the tide of a game, and bring an uneasy calm before a surprising storm, all without sacrificing the inner innocence and amusement of a three-year-old child. 1b. Note, the prerequisite of Bazballing is the existence of a Bairstow and the ability to display aggression without displaying aggression. 1c. The Bazball Effect is largely a cricketing phenomenon but is not limited to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So, in simple terms, what is Bazball? Brave, Brash, and lots of Bairstow.
11 Examples of Bazball
England selecting Rob Key, a former English cricketer and commentator with zero administrative experience, as the Managing Director of the English Cricket Team and choosing Brendon McCullum (zero first-class coaching experience) as the head coach of the England Test team.
England captain Ben Stokes declaring on Day 1 with a score of 393/8 on a flat deck with Joe Root still 118*
Virat Kohli sledging Jonny Bairstow to wake up the sleeping beast
Joe Root being Joe Root (737 runs, 2 wickets, and player of series vs India. Now at 10458 runs and 28 Test centuries)
Different Interpretations of the Bazball
Well, don’t take my word for it. Every word has several interpretations based on the circumstance. Here are three of my favorite interpretations of Bazball.
1. The Eagle (Hindi)
In the Indian language of Hindi, Baaz means Eagle—a majestic bird that hunts its prey. Highly focused, always gets to the target.
Cannot think of a better metaphor for Bazball to be honest. The Baz meaning in Hindi aptly describes the true essence of Bazball.
2. Sanjay Manjrekar on Rishabh Pant
Well, is Bazball an original creation? The first time that cricket has experienced this feeling?
No, definitely not. We have seen this before.
As Sanjay Manjrekar states, we don’t need to look any further than Rishabh Pant.
So what’s Bazball? Well, it’s how Rishabh Pant has been playing in his last 31 Tests.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 7, 2022
3. Can You Use It in a Sentence?
In a Spelling Bee, a contestant can ask for usage in a sentence to further understand the word. Our next example doubles up as an interpretation and also satisfies the “Can You Use It in a Sentence?” segment (Don’t know what I am referring to? Watch this hilarious Jimmy Kimmel Spelling Bee segment).
There have been several interpretations of Bazball floating around on the internet, but my favorite by far, has been Andrew Fidel Fernando’s interpretation. Here is an excerpt:
“When a fielder sledges you and you sledge them back with runs. That’s Bazball. When you are so intent on showing respect to the opposition’s bowlers you walk down the track, clear your front leg, and respect them repeatedly into the sightscreen. That’s Bazball. When an old lady needs help crossing the street, but instead of walking her across you fire her from a cannon all the way into her house. Definitely Bazball…When something has been around for a while, but the rebranding is so strong it seems futuile to resist…perhaps this is also Bazball?
Origins and History of Bazball
Brendon McCullum, affectionately known as Baz, has always been in the forefront of the media.
Whether as a swashbuckling wicketkeeper back in 2002, the unofficial launcher of the Indian Premier League with his 158*, captain supreme of New Zealand’s golden run to the 2015 ODI World Cup Final, Baz has always been there. Rejuvenating Eoin Morgan’s men to ODI overhaul, inventing the BMacDilscoop, retiring on a high with the fastest Test hundred, coaching Trinbago Knight Riders to unbeaten glory, or note-taking KKR’s way out of IPL Playoffs, McCullum is a trendsetter.
But this time, it’s different. Coaching T20s? Fine, but Test matches? Baz has no experience. Questions were tossed. The England cricket team had only won one match in their last 17 Tests. How could they possibly bounce back?
They didn’t just bounce back. They Bazzed back. Whatever that means.
Four wins in four Test matches. Record chases of 250+. They have now brushed aside both of the finalists in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, New Zealand and India. The Rob Key-Brendon McCullum-Ben Stokes partnership has somehow swayed a magic wand over England and rejuvenated the English fans’ hopes in Test cricket
England are no longer the good guys of world cricket. They are, now the Baz boys….
Brendon McCullum In His Own Words
Here are some snippets of Brendon McCullum from an interview after a 3-0 win over his home nation, New Zealand. When asked about emotion, clarity, keeping it simple, and his general coaching style, he said,
“I try to quieten down some of the noise…Trying to get these guys closer together and try for them to understand their game…give them as much confidence as I can…we can get caught up in a fear of failure…..and I don’t know what Bazball is…don’t know where it came from..[on Jonny] .Go out there and just be yourself. Have your moment…Try to inspire the next generation of Test cricket”
– Brendon McCullum
This has already inspired the likes of Dravid-Ball, Lax-Ball. How far reaching will McCullum’s coaching impact be?
Can Brendon McCullum Fulfill His True Legacy?
Brendon McCullum has won trophies, gained worldwide acclaim, and played memorable innings. He has achieved everything a cricketer can achieve in his or her life.
McCullum has been a lifelong trendsetter. Now only goal remains.
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Can Brendon McCullum, aka Baz, fulfill his legacy and make the Dictionary?
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*In order to get an official word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the usage and citation matters. There are dictionary employees working on a daily basis perusing through publications, articles, online editorials, etc. So basically, if we use Bazball enough, especially in written work, it will one-day, make the dictionary.
Bazball in England Cricket – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Bazball?
The purpose and intent of Bazball is to completely annihilate the opposition, abruptly change the tide of a game, and bring an uneasy calm before a surprising storm, all without sacrificing the inner innocence and amusement of a three-year-old child. The prerequisite of Bazballing is the existence of a Bairstow and ability to display aggression without displaying aggression. The Bazball Effect is largely a cricketing phenomenon but is not limited to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What are some examples of Bazball?
– England selecting Rob Key, a former English cricketer and commentator with zero administrative experience, as the Managing Director of the English Cricket Team and choosing Brendon McCullum (zero first-class coaching experience) as head coach of the England Test team – Jonny Bairstow smashing 136 (92), 162 (157), or 71*(44) and England chasing 279/5 in 78.5 overs (RR 3.53), chasing 299 in 50 overs (RR 5.98), or chasing 279/5 in 78.5 overs (RR 3.53) in 4th innings of a Test match. – Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell scoring 4 centuries and 5 half-centuries between them, not giving up, and giving England a taste of their own medicine – Jasprit Bumrah scoring 35 runs off one Stuart Broad over – England scoring 657 in 101 overs with 4 centuries in Rawalpindi against Pakistan on a dead pitch.
Who coined the phrase, ‘Bazball’?
Although the ‘Bazball’ is named for Brendon McCullum, known as ‘Baz,’ he did not coin the term himself. The phrase ‘Bazball’ was created by England cricket fans on social media and commentators.
What is the Bazball approach?
What is Bazball in cricket? Bazball is a fresh aggressive approach coined for England’s new Test coach, Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is ‘Baz.’
