Sachin Tendulkar To Return To Field After Arjun Tendulkar's Wedding, Schedule Out

IML 2026 to be played in late 2026 [Source: @imlt20official/x]

Sachin Tendulkar is set to make his return to the field later this year. The former Indian cricketer recently attended his son Arjun Tendulkar’s wedding, and is now set for his next on-field appearance.

Sachin Tendulkar, who played in the inaugural edition of the International Masters League back in March 2025 for India Masters, will be featuring in the upcoming second season of the tournament nearly seven months from now. As per the schedule, the IML 2026 season will be played between October 24 and November 14 in three different Indian venues.

IML 2026 season locked, to be played in October-November

The IML will be making its return to the cricketing fold through its second chapter later this year. After hosting a successful inaugural edition of the IML back in March 2025, the second season of the tournament will be played in October and November this year across three different Indian venues.

The second season will once again feature six franchise teams representing the ‘Masters’ from India, Sri Lanka, Australia, West Indies, South Africa and England. The India Masters team will start out as defending champions.

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The three venues earmarked for the IML 2026 season are Mumbai, Vadodara and Vizag, each set to play host to a part of the tournament’s itinerary.

Sachin Tendulkar among other legends tipped for return

India’s all-format great Sachin Tendulkar, who led the India Masters in the inaugural IML season last year, is expected to return to the tournament’s star-studded roaster for the second edition later this year. Apart from Tendulkar, several other legendary names such as Brian Lara, Shane Watson, Kumar Sangakkara and Chris Gayle are also likely to reunite with their respective franchises for the six-team competition.

The India Masters squad in the 2025 season featured several of India’s World Cup-winning players, including Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and Irfan Pathan, along with former ‘Men in Blue’ cricketers such as Stuart Binny and Vinay Kumar, and IPL stalwart Ambati Rayudu, in addition to captain Sachin Tendulkar.

What happened in IML 2025 season?

The India Masters team won the IML 2025 season last year by defeating West Indies Masters in a one-sided final in Raipur. Bowling first, a three-wicket haul from Vinay Kumar restricted Brian Lara and co. to just 148-7 in 20 overs. In response, Ambati Rayudu fired a sizzling 50-ball 74*, and captain Tendulkar composed a quick 25 at the top as the hosts secured a comprehensive six-wicket win in 17.1 overs.

Under the leadership of Sachin Tendulkar, the India Masters team had finished second on the points table before defeating a Shane Watson-led Australian side in the first semifinal. Table-toppers Sri Lanka Masters lost to West Indies in the second semifinal, while teams like South Africa Masters and England Masters failed to make it to the top four.

England Masters, under the leadership of 2019 World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan, finished at the bottom of the points table by sustaining five crushing defeats in each of their five league games.

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