Cricket Russia launches Russian T10 League to revive sport

Moscow, Sep 19 (IANS) In a bid to revive cricket in Russia, the Russian Cricket Federation (Cricket Russia) has launched the Russian T10 League with four teams set to compete in the two-day event on September 19 and 20.

The tournament will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium, with Moscow Foxes, Kremlin Stars, Kazan Falcons and St. Petersburg Lions competing in seven matches.

Sambhav Jain, director, Russian Cricket Federation (Cricket Russia), reflected on the launch of the tournament. “The tournament is designed to be more than a sporting competition. It is part of a wider vision to promote cricket across Russia, attract new players and audiences, and create more opportunities for the development of the sport,” Jain said.

“With 60 players participating across four teams, the event provides a platform for cricketers to compete, gain experience and showcase their talent,” he added.

The Russian T10 League is Russia’s first structured domestic cricket calendar through a T10-format tournament. It is open to local Russian players, expat communities, and the South Asian diaspora competing together from Day 1. It is designed to showcase talent at the highest local level, with an aim also on making cricket immediately engaging for new audiences. Identification and development of homegrown Russian talent for the national pipeline is a core objective of the tournament.

The T10 League is also the first step in the Russia Cricket Development Initiative, which envisions a future where cricket is a mainstream sport in Russia. The aim remains on a thriving domestic league, world-class infrastructure in every major city, and a Russian national team competing on the international stage.

“The launch arrives at a genuinely useful moment for cricket in, coming just two years before the sport returns to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028. A federation-backed, city-based franchise competition gives Russia a clearer development pathway at a time when several associate nations are racing to professionalise their domestic structures,” Jain added.

Final Fixtures:

19th September 2026:

Match 1: Kremlin Stars vs Kazan Falcons

Match 2: Moscow Foxes vs Saint Petersburg Lions

Match 3: Kremlin Stars vs Moscow Foxes

20th September 2026:

Match 1: Kazan Falcons vs Saint Petersburg Lions

Match 2: Kremlin Stars vs Saint Petersburg Lions

Match 3: Kazan Falcons vs Moscow Foxes

Final: 1st Place vs 2nd Place

–IANS

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