Kapil Dev, a cricket icon and the current President of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI), stated on Monday that no decision has been made regarding the participation of Bangladeshi players in the PGTI.
This follows the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) choice not to send its national team to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 due to security concerns and government advice.
Bangladesh's decision came after the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released pacer Mustafizur Rahman upon instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Kapil mentioned, "We'll sit down and talk about the recent issue. We haven't taken any decision on it yet," when asked about potentially excluding Bangladeshi golfers from the PGTI
Tour.
Team Dynamics in Golf
Kapil Dev emphasised India's need to explore team-based formats in golf to accelerate its growth, drawing parallels with cricket's evolution post-IPL. "I played cricket, a team game. Golf, on the other hand, is an individual sport. But India needs a team format in golf as well," he remarked. He was speaking at the launch of a new franchise-based golf league, 72 The League, which aims to introduce a team format to this individual sport.
The former all-rounder highlighted how team dynamics can bring a new energy to golf while maintaining individual excellence. "Individual brilliance will always prevail but team sport hits different. Our vision is to make golfers taste team sport," he said. Kapil also noted that this league aims to give golfers a stronger voice and promote them more effectively.
Influence of League Models
Reflecting on the impact of the IPL on Indian sports, Kapil stated that the league model has shown its potential to transform landscapes. "After what happened in cricket after the Indian Premier League, we are trying to replicate that in other sports as well and this league is just a step towards that," he explained.
The first franchise of 72 The League, named UP Prometheans, was announced with five more franchises expected to be revealed soon. Prominent Bangladeshi golfers like Jamal Hossain, Md Siddikur Rahman, and Md Akbar Hossain currently compete on the PGTI tour.
While Kapil refrained from commenting on BCB's recent approach to the International Cricket Council (ICC), he reiterated his belief that only those directly involved should speak about their respective sports. "A golfer should talk more; we are here just to promote them. Similar to cricket, only cricketers should talk about it and no one else," he stated.
The introduction of 72 The League represents an effort by PGTI to innovate within golf by adopting successful elements from other sports like cricket. This initiative seeks not only to enhance player engagement but also to broaden golf's appeal across India.
