Just like the game of cricket as a whole is said to have been invented by England, the shortest form of the game is also invented by them. To make cricket more faster and sleek, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) invented the Twenty20 format and the first ever inter county championship was held in the year 2003. It became an instant hit in the England as the game lasts for just 40 overs in all and takes only 3 hours per game. After much resistance by the strongest cricket board in the world, the BCCI, it also saw the riches in the game after the Indian cricket team won the inaugural Twenty20 world cup played in South Africa in the year 2007. Immediately the BCCI roped in the Indian Premier League in 2008 and since then the Twenty20 format which is fondly called by T20 by the fans, has become increasingly popular format of the game. After India most of the cricket playing nations went on to have a franchise based league cricket in this format and here we are with the top T20 leagues of cricket.
Top T20 Leagues of Cricket
Friend’s Life T20
Country: England and Wales
Organizers: England and Wales Cricket Board – ECB
Main Sponsors: Friends Provident
This tournament has basically replaced the 40 overs format games in England and as we have mentioned above, it became an instant hit. Although the T20 league in this current name was started in the year 2010. The tournament is played between the various cricket counties of England and Wales. The winners and the runners up qualify to play in the Champions League T20.
Caribbean Premier League – CPL
Country: The West Indies
Organizers: The West Indies Cricket Board – WICB
Sponsors: Courts PLC
This is the youngest T20 league of the world. After the fiasco of a T20 league with Allen Stanford in 2010, the WICB revived the tournament in 2013 and it has already become popular among the people of the Caribbean. One of the major reasons for it to become popular is the presence of international players from the West Indies and around the world. Winners of the tournament go through the qualifiers to play in the Champions League T20.
KFC Big Bash – BBL
Country: Australia
Organizers: Cricket Australia – CA
Sponsors: Kentucky Fried Chicken – KFC
This is probably the equivalent T20 tournament to the English T20 league and the IPL. This one is also one of the most popular T20 leagues because of the availability of all the Australian international players. The top 2 teams qualify for the Champions League T20.
Champions League T20 – CLT20
Countries: India, South Africa, and Australia
Organizers: Joint venture of BCCI, CS, and CA
After the huge success of the first edition of the Indian Premier League, three boards, BCCI, Cricket South Africa and Cricket Australia came to gather and announced the Champions League T20 cricket. In which the champions of the T20 leagues playing across the world participate. Although the qualification rules are hugely in favor of the organizing countries, but yet it is still one of the most enjoyable tournaments in the cricketing calendar.
Vivo Indian Premier League – VIVO IPL
Country: India
Organizers: BCCI
Sponsors: Pepsi
The success in the inaugural T20 world cup by India suddenly forced BCCI to change its mind towards this shortest format of the game and by not wasting time it announced its own franchise based T20 league very next year where players are being bought by the franchises via an open auction, televised live. The top 3 teams automatically qualify for the CLT20 and other 2 teams have to play a qualifying round.