The GT20 cricket tournament kicks off in Brampton Thursday, featuring some of the world’s top players.
Organizers say it’s also raising the city’s profile as a training ground for the popular sport.
“Fans should come into the GT20 tournament expecting great cricketing action — world class cricketers right in their backyard, tough competition, tight matches and a good family-friendly fun day out,” said Karan Singh, director of Bombay Sports, which is organizing the tournament.
The Global GT20 Canada tournament takes place from July 25 to August 11 at the TD Cricket Arena. This is the league’s fourth season, and Singh said the GT20 will attract tens of thousands of fans to the city.
This year, Australian cricketers David Warner and Marcus Stoinis will be playing, Singh said, along with Sunil Narine, who plays for the West Indies, and Colin Munroe from New Zealand.
The tournament first began in 2018 and then was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. It made its return last summer.
Some of the world’s biggest cricket stars have arrived in the GTA as Brampton hosts the GT20 Canada cricket tournament. Metro Morning reporter Saloni Bhugra got a quick lesson from GT20 player Rayyan Pathan to see what the sport is all about.
While cricket is played widely around the world, Singh said it’s only starting to have a larger presence in North America.
That’s where Brampton comes in, he said. It’s home to a large population of South Asian immigrants from countries, including India, where the sport is hugely popular.
“You have to start somewhere. And with the support that the City of Brampton has provided to the diaspora here, it enables a strong foundation for the sport,” he said.
Brampton hoping for cricket franchise: mayor
Last year’s tournament was a “phenomenal success,” said Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown — with an international viewership of 183 million and $34 million generated in the city as a result.
Brampton has become “ground zero” for cricket across the country, Brown said, calling his city the “cricket capital of Canada.”
This year was the first time a Canadian team played in the cricket T20 World Cup — and five of the players on the team are from Brampton.
Brown said there’s hope professional cricket will become mainstream in Canada, and Vancouver and Brampton could become the first two franchises to launch.
“To say it’s an exciting time for cricket is an understatement,” the mayor said.
Brampton also started a youth cricket league this month, Brown said, coinciding with the GT20 tournament. He said three new fields were built so kids as young as six can play.
Those improvements in cricket infrastructure have allowed the sport to thrive and have helped new generations get engaged, said Singh.
“It’s a lot of effort, a lot of time, but I think the only way we achieve that dream is by being consistent in building infrastructure, in building facilities, in building up people who drive this sport,” he said.