Legends League Cricket (LLC) is set to bring back live cricketing action to Kashmir after a 40-year hiatus. The 2024 edition of the LLC will begin on September 20 at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium in Jodhpur and move to the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat on September 27. The third leg of the tournament will be held at the Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu starting October 6, 2024. This will mark a return of cricket to the venue after 35 years. Meanwhile, the final will be held at the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar from October 10, where fans have eagerly anticipated live cricket for nearly 50 years.
Raman Raheja, co-founder of LLC, expressed his excitement about hosting the event in a stadium in Kashmir. He also noted that it would mark a significant opportunity for the people of Kashmir to experience live cricket again after a 40-year break.
“Legends League Cricket is back for another season, and we are very excited to also be playing in Kashmir this season. This is a huge opportunity for the people of Kashmir to come to the stadium and watch live cricketing action for the first time in almost 40 years. It also presents a unique opportunity for the cricketers to experience the beauty of Kashmir and enjoy the hospitality and love of the wonderful people of Srinagar,” said Raheja.
The LLC is renowned for its exciting matches over the last two years. It has a scripted history with high viewership, attracting an impressive 180 million viewers across India during last season’s 19 games. The upcoming edition has a longer schedule and a more star-studded lineup featuring recently retired Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik. In the 2023 edition held in India, cricket fans witnessed performances of various cricket legends including Suresh Raina, Aaron Finch, Martin Guptill, Gautam Gambhir, Chris Gayle, Hashim Amla, and Ross Taylor, among 110 other legendary cricketers.
There will be 25 matches contested among six franchises, culminating in an exciting final on October 16. The franchise-based tournament will be held across four cities—Jodhpur, Surat, Jammu, and, for the first time in 40 years, Srinagar.
The player auction for the third edition of the LLC was held in New Delhi on Thursday, August 29. A total of 97 players were acquired by different franchises during the auction. Isuru Udana was the most expensive player of the auction, while Dhawal Kulkarni was the priciest Indian cricketer.