The Global Power Cricket League (GPCL) created plenty of buzz in its very first edition, which concluded on Sunday (October 9).

Indian Sapphires and Australian Golds shared the coveted GPCL T20 trophy because of the inclement weather in Delhi’s Yamuna Sports Complex Cricket Ground.

Not a single ball of play was possible in both the semifinals and the final as incessant rain played spoilsport. Since Indian Sapphires and Australian Golds were the toppers of their respective pools in the group stage, they were rightfully declared joint winners by an expert committee.

During the week-long tournament, marquee international cricketers like Ian Bell, Munaf Patel, Callum Ferguson, and Kirk Edwards were seen in action. The league, as part of the NRI Festival celebrations, also ensured the participation of Indian diaspora youth players and a number of first-class cricketers.

The GPCL T20 garnered a lot of attention and viewership as Power Sportz – the organiser and official broadcaster of GPCL T20 – telecasted the action in 95 territories worldwide.

With the kind of interest the tournament generated in just its inaugural year, Ms. Kanthi D Suresh, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Power Sportz, is fairly confident that the GPCL is here to stay.

“GPCL is set to continue. It is a global property comprising of teams from 8 countries. We have a worldwide distribution of feed so the venue can be anywhere,” she told Circle of Cricket in an exclusive chat.

Speaking on the success of GPCL Season 1, Kanthi added that all teams and their captains want the tournament to be staged in their countries next year.

“If teams want it back home in their country where their family and friends reside, it indicates we have done something right in Season 1,” she stated.

Meanwhile, former India cricketer Bobby Narasimha Rao, who covered the GPCL T20 as a commentator and observed the youngsters closely, believes that the tournament can be a feeder to pick talent for big leagues like IPL.

“GPCL can be a nursery for global t20 tournaments such as IPL with the level of abundant talent shown by foreign first-class players and young cricketers,” he said.

Bobby Narasimha Rao, who represented India in 4 Tests, also lauded the organisers for their efforts.

“The setup of ground and venue has been excellent and the quality of cricket has surprised me with some former Test cricketers like Ian Bell, Munaf Patel, Callum Ferguson, Narsingh Deonarine and a few budding youngsters from different countries,” he remarked.

“They have executed high level skills in all three departments of the game. The tournament is at a very exciting stage. The organising capabilities and facilities are second to none,” he added.