Published 18:59 IST, October 30th 2020
Shane Warne makes huge claim while comparing cricket and football during Dream11 IPL 2020
Australian legend Shane Warne spoke on how cricket has developed into a global sport and its potential to surpass football in terms of popularity.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Australian legend Shane Warne is also one of the stakeholders in the Indian Premier League due to his close association with the Rajasthan franchise. The former cricketer, who led the young Rajasthan side to victory in the inaugural edition, is currently serving as the mentor for the team. He also is the ambassador for the franchise in Dream11 IPL 2020. In an interview with Emirati cricketer Chirag Suri, Warne explained how cricket could end up surpassing all the sports in terms of popularity.
Shane Warne feels cricket could potentially be the biggest sport in the world
The ex-cricketer visited VOX Cinemas in Dubai for a special screening of Rajasthan team's documentary. While speaking to Chirag Suri, the Australian star mentioned how according to a recent study, cricket is now the second-ranked sport in the world, while football was voted as number one. He opined that with the growing popularity of the game; it has turned into a global sport.
Shane Warne feels that with America coming up with their own home-grown T20 league next year, and with China also showing keen interest in the sport, the future seems to be very bright. He highlighted the fact that 200 million people tuned in for the opening match of Dream11 IPL 2020, which is more than double when compared to USA's SuperBowl. He feels that the number is bound to increase in the finals.
Football, which is the most popular sport in the world, also grabs the maximum number of eyeballs currently. The 2018 UEFA Champions League final was viewed by 380 million people. With the rise of cricket and the immense popularity of the Indian T20 extravaganza, it will be interesting to see the number of viewers the Dream11 IPL 2020 final draws.
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly labels Dream11 IPL as the best league in the world
Ex-India captain Sourav Ganguly, who was instrumental in the successful organization of the cash-rich league this year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, had tweeted about Dream11 IPL being the best league in the world. The BCCI President is highly impressed with the talent on display in the league. Ganguly's comments came after a thrilling encounter between Rajasthan and Punjab.
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Punjab vs Rajasthan live game
The two teams fought tooth and nail in their clash earlier in the competition. Rahul Tewatia emerged as a hero when he took his helped the Rajasthan side to trump Punjab in a high-scoring contest. The two teams come face to face yet again on Saturday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in a must-win contest. The Punjab vs Rajasthan live encounter will commence from 7:30 pm IST on the Star Sports Network.
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Source: Shane Warne Instagram
Updated 18:59 IST, October 30th 2020