Two years ago, my column reflected on significant moments in matches which I attended in 2023 and which seemed to have deep significance for the game. Five themes emerged.
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First was the increase in franchised T20 leagues. Second was the experience of attending ODI World Cup matches in India. Third was the shifting balance in the number of international matches played in each format. Fourth was the gallant strategy adopted by the England’s men’s test team to breathe fresh life into the format. Fifth was a dispelling of the notion, in the form of Australia’s Pat Cummins, that a fast bowler cannot be a successful captain.
My reflection at the end of 2025 is geared to exploring how these themes played out over the last 24 months and how they may continue in 2026.
January 2023 heralded the inaugural edition of the DP World ILT20 in the UAE. At the time, it looked like another brick in the wall of the modern game, symptomatic of its future shape. In the last two years, there have been three more editions of ILT20, the latest of which started on Dec. 2 and will conclude on Jan. 4, 2026. In South Africa, SA20 opened its third edition on Dec. 26, 2025, as did the Bangladesh Premier League.
