Cricket in China has long aimed to reach a wider mainstream audience. It has been waiting for the right opportunity to accelerate its growth. That moment may now be approaching.

China is set to get its first world-class, eight-team Legends T20 franchise league, with the World Championship of Cricket (WCC) and Dongyuehui Sports preparing an inaugural edition in May 2027. In a first for the country, the competition is being positioned as a significant step in cricket’s global expansion and as a new opening for the game in China. It will bring together some of the sport’s most celebrated former international stars.

With the International Cricket Council (ICC) looking to new growth markets, the timing is hard to ignore. Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games has also given expansion plans extra momentum, creating an opportunity for China to speed up its cricket development and play a meaningful role in the sport’s global growth story.

The project also reflects a broader aim. Beyond staging a marquee event, WCC and Dongyuehui Sports say the competition is part of a wider effort to take cricket to new audiences and make the sport more global.

The groundwork was laid in October 2026. WCC and Dongyuehui Sports signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the project in China.

Dongyuehui Sports runs the Shaxi Town Cricket Centre in Taicang, Jiangsu Province. Praveen Sharma, Chairman of WCC, and Yonghui Tong, Chairman of Dongyuehui Sports, signed the agreement.

WCC has run franchise events before. It is backed by the owners of the World Tennis League, Stars Golf League and World Padel League, giving it experience in organising and running international franchise sports competitions.

The organisers are pitching the league as more than a one-off event. They see it as a route to fan growth, player development and a longer cricket footprint in China.

"Cricket has the unique ability to connect people across cultures and borders, and China presents one of the most exciting opportunities for the sport's future growth. We are seeking the support of the Local Authorities and our partnership with Dongyuehui Sports, we are committed to delivering a world-class cricketing experience and creating a platform that can inspire the next generation of players and fans. This agreement marks an important milestone in turning that vision into reality," Sharma said.

Amandeep Singh, Founder of WCC, set out the league’s audience ambition after the signing. “Taking WCC to China has been an ambition from the beginning. Today’s signing brings that ambition a step closer. We want to give fans the chance to watch celebrated cricketers in action and introduce new audiences to the excitement of the game. We look forward to working with our partners in Taicang to make the inaugural edition something special,” Singh said.

Dongyuehui Sports tied the project to a wider sports-events strategy in China. "Our vision is to establish China as a destination for major international sporting events, and to position the Shaxi Town Cricket Centre as the leading home of cricket in the country. Partnering with WCC allows us to introduce some of the biggest names in world cricket to Chinese fans, inspire greater participation in the sport, and create a lasting legacy for cricket's growth in China," Tong said.

The local piece is central. Combined with the expertise and infrastructure built by Dongyuehui Sports, the league is expected to bring top-level cricket closer to China’s growing sports audience and lift interest and participation in the game.

It may also help young players. China’s emerging cricketers could study some of the sport’s most accomplished former internationals, many of whom have featured at the highest level, including the ICC Cricket World Cup. Though these players have competed across the world, the WCC Legends League will be the first time many of them play in China.

Money is part of the plan too. Because the league uses a franchise model, WCC is opening the door for private investors and investment funds to back cricket’s push into China through team ownership, partnerships and other commercial bets in one of the world’s biggest consumer markets.

What once seemed an ambitious vision is rapidly taking shape. With WCC and Dongyuehui Sports joining forces, China may be about to embark on a new innings in its sporting journey, one that has the potential to bring cricket closer than ever to its ambition of becoming a truly global game.