Will BBL Welcome Private Investors To Accommodate Indian Stars? CA Chief Responds

The Hundred finally went private and the equity in the teams, previously owned by various county units, was finally sold to private partners, making it truly professional. 

Will the Big Bash League (BBL) follow suit? The answer is not yet known, but to accommodate demigods of cricket like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are nearly revered in Australia, they would need deep pockets, which would be created by private investment in the teams. 

Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg, also agreed to it in a recent chat. Speaking about the possibility of having Kohli and Rohit playing in the BBL, he said, as quoted by cricket.com.au, “I think in the short to medium term, I think it is realistic. We’re going to keep the dialogue open.

“Ravichandran Ashwin coming is a really important moment for the BBL, and it will highlight the strength of bringing Indian players into the league,” added the CA head. 

Discussing more about the possibility of private capital being infused into the league, Greenberg, who has previously run National Rugby League (NRL), said, “That will depend on whether we take private capital into the BBL, which is an open conversation for us at the moment.”

The administrator was keen on seeing the result of India’s Ravichandran Ashwin’s effect on the crowds when he plays for the Sydney Thunder in BBL 2025-26. After Ashwin quit Test cricket and IPL, he signed up for BBL. 

“But I think you’re going to see an enormous explosion of interest around the Thunder this year on the back of Ravi Ashwin playing. There’s one thing the best leagues have all over the world in every sport – they have access to the best players, and the BBL should be no different to that,” Greenberg said.