Cricket News
What a ball to What a Goal! Indian T20 league Franchises and their Football Counterparts
The Indian T20 league has grown leaps and bounds ever since its inception in the year 2008. The ten-team tournament has got a massive fan base in the cricketing fraternity and the popularity of the league is set to shoot up after the recent media rights auction.
The league became the second most valuable sporting league in the world after the recent media rights auction and fans have begun comparing the league with famous football leagues around the world.
On that note, let’s draw a parallel between the cricket league and the football leagues around the world and find the football equivalent of the teams from the Indian T20 league:
- Tottenham and Punjab
Tottenham in the English Premier League are a huge club with a great fan base and rich history. However, the club have not been able to win a league title despite having a few successful seasons. Punjab have also been quite the same in the Indian T20 League. They came close to winning the tournament in 2014 when they reached the finals of the tournament.
2. PSG and Lucknow
Founded in the year 1970, the PSG have become a recent sensation. The club has found massive popularity in the past few years. Lucknow are also a new team in the Indian T20 league and have impressed everyone by reaching the playoffs in their first ever season. The team has tremendous prospects for the future and will give many oppositions a run for their money in the upcoming season.
3. Bangalore and Arsenal
Arsenal have always started their season in grand fashion but always end up finishing at 4-5 despite having many talented players in their squad. The team shares the same fate as the Bangalore franchise from the Indian T20 league. The latter too has failed to move ahead of fourth place finish in the recent seasons.
4. Gujarat and Manchester City
The Manchester City football club has impressed everyone with their consistent performances in the past ten years. They’ve emerged as the new team to watch out for as they’ve given many sleepless nights to their oppositions. The Gujarat franchise has been the same in the Indian T20 league.
The team had a magnificent debut season in this year’s league as they clinched the title in their maiden attempt. Gujarat is expected to rule the league in the coming years as they have a star-studded squad ready to take down any opposition that comes in front of them.
5. Hyderabad and Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich have been one of the most consistently performing teams in the Bundesliga for the past 6 years. They’ve built a core team and are considered the masters of the transfer game. Hyderabad is quite similar to Munich as they’ve also been consistently performing in the Indian T20 league and have built a strong core group of players who’ve worked wonders for them.
6. Rajasthan and Liverpool
Liverpool was one of the clubs that had great success in their initial years but couldn’t live on to their successful run for long. The club has once again risen against all the odds and come into the limelight after a long time. The Rajasthan team in the Indian T20 league have also had a similar story.
They won the inaugural season of the tournament but failed to replicate their initial success in the following years. The franchise has once again risen to their past glory as they reached the finals of the last season.
7. Chennai and Barcelona
Barcelona have been the second most successful club of Laliga. The team has never failed to enthral the audience with their tremendous skill-set on the field and have made a habit of winning titles for fun. The Chennai franchise from the Indian T20 league have also been the second most successful team in the tournament having won the tournament four times. The franchise are considered the roaring lions of the league and have a huge fanbase all across India.
8. Kolkata and Manchester United
Manchester United have enjoyed great success in the past in the premier league. They were the champions of the season 2012-13 but have failed to give similar performance in the subsequent seasons. The Kolkata franchise also had a similar history in the Indian T20 league. The team had a great run from the year 2012 to 2015 where they won two trophies but have failed to hit the straps ever since.
9. Mumbai and Real Madrid
If there is any team that is the king of the jungle in Laliga it’s Real Madrid. The club has won the Spanish league a record 35 times in its rich history. The winning juggernaut of the club doesn’t look like ending any time soon as they enter every season with the same energy and their eyes set on the title. The Mumbai franchise have also had a similar history in the Indian T20 league. They’re the most successful team in the tournament having won the trophy a record five times. After a disastrous outing in the last season, the team will be eager to come out roaring again the next year.
10. Delhi and Chelsea
Chelsea have been one of the best teams in the past decade in the premier league. After some unsuccessful outings in the past, the team has risen against all the odds and taken the football fraternity by storm by clinching titles one after the other. The Delhi franchise have also had a similar fate in the Indian T20 league as they began performing out of nowhere in the season 2019. The team has impressed everyone on numerous occasions and have emerged as a force to reckon with in the tournament.
