Greater Noida to host Big Cricket League from June 3

Noida: Greater Noida’s Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Stadium will host the second season of Big Cricket League (BCL) from June 3-13. The BCL is a T20 cricket tournament that combines former international cricketers with amateur players selected through nationwide trials.

Cricketers including Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Chris Gayle, Ross Taylor, Thisara Perera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, among others, will play the matches.

Greater Noida Authority CEO NG Ravi Kumar convened a meeting of all concerned departments and directed them to complete the preparations. “The Greater Noida Authority is also extending support as a partner for the event. Entry to the stadium for all matches will be free of charge,” he said.

BCL chief patron Puneet Singh said that the tournament will feature six franchise teams competing in eighteen T20 matches. “A unique aspect of the league is that sixty amateur cricketers selected from across the country will get an opportunity to play alongside these legendary players,” he said.

The tournament is promoted as the country’s first professional-amateur cricket league where amateur players from across India get a chance to share the field with renowned cricketers.

The inaugural season was held in Dec 2024 in Surat, Gujarat, when Mumbai Marines defeated Southern Spartans to become the inaugural champions.

Meanwhile, officials said these matches will be broadcast live on Eurosport, while digital streaming will be available on FanCode. In addition, the 11-day tournament will be telecast live in more than 25 countries through the league’s associated broadcast networks.

Greater Noida’s Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports complex has served as a home ground of the Afghanistan national cricket team. The stadium is named after Vijay Singh Pathik, an Indian revolutionary who fought against British rule.