 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (September 2024) |
| Sport | Cricket |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Ceased | 2009 |
| Divisions | 9 |
| No. of teams | 9 city teams, 4 international teams |
| Country |
|
| Last champion(s) | Lahore Badshahs (2008/09) |
The Indian Cricket League (ICL) was a short-lived cricket league that ran from 2007 to 2009. It was sponsored by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, a media company. The ICL had two seasons, featuring four international teams and nine domestic teams from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The matches were played in the Twenty20 format. A 50-over tournament was also held in early 2008.[1]
The ICL faced significant opposition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). The BCCI did not approve of the ICL and launched its own rival league, the Indian Premier League (IPL), in 2008. The BCCI also banned the players who joined the ICL from playing for their national teams or in any other official tournaments. The IPL was more popular and successful than the ICL, leading to the ICL's collapse in 2009, ending its brief and controversial existence.