Cricket On This Day: Cricket's Global Rise and Mid-Season Marvel (June 28)

June 28, 2025

1. A Media Milestone – 28 June 2018

Although not marked by a fiery on-field encounter, June 28, 2018, etched its own place in cricket history. On this day, ESPNcricinfo published a powerful analysis exploring how the IPL had transitioned from a domestic T20 league into a global sports phenomenon. That same year, the ICC formally acknowledged the tournament in its Future Tours Programme, thereby legitimizing its timing and influence.

Cricket On This Day

Why June 28, 2018, Matters:

Cemented the IPL's global status within cricket.
Triggered explosive growth in sponsorships and broadcast rights.
Validated T20 leagues’ impact in international cricket structures.

The IPL was no longer just India’s summer blockbuster—it was cricket’s global carnival.

2. Mid-Season Pulse: Cricket 2025 as of June 28

Fast forward to 2025, and June 28 marks a crucial mid-season checkpoint across global cricket. With bilateral series, domestic leagues, and World Test Championship matches happening, the sport is as dynamic as ever.

📊 Standout Teams & Matches

India vs England Test Series currently underway, with Jasprit Bumrah dismantling English batting.
West Indies’ T20 Tour of South Africa delivered high-octane matches with scores over 220.
Australia’s domestic Big Bash prep has already begun amid a record number of early player signings.

🔄 Turning Points So Far

Steve Smith’s return to form in Tests with back-to-back centuries.
Youngster Rehan Ahmed making headlines with a 7-wicket haul in the England-India Test.
South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee bowling 150+ kph thunderbolts reminiscent of Dale Steyn.

3. Cricket’s Global Financial Boom

Cricket’s economy has grown massively post-2020. The BCCI, ECB, CA, and PCB have restructured revenue sharing to reflect franchise cricket's success. In 2023, media rights across global cricket surpassed US$10 billion.

How June 28 Influenced This Boom:

June 28, 2018’s acknowledgment of IPL in the ICC FTP gave birth to the formal T20 window.
Led to other leagues like SA20, ILT20, and MLC forming with ICC support.

Cricket had finally embraced its entertainment-industrial complex.

4. Impact on Players & Careers

👤 Media Made Stars

Sai Sudharsan’s domestic consistency now has Test selectors’ attention.
Rehan Ahmed has become England’s go-to spinner across formats.
Shreyas Iyer’s form places him in contention for the India Test captaincy.

From YouTube clips to broadcast breakdowns, digital media is creating cricket’s new royalty.

5. Trivia & June 28 Fun-Facts

✨ Did You Know?

Anuja Patil, Indian cricketer, was born on June 28, 1992.
On June 28, 1880, England played one of the earliest official Tests vs Australia.
West Indies legend Chris Gayle scored his 20th T20 century on a June 28 game back in 2017 in a Caribbean Premier League match.

6. What Came Next

🎉 Post-2018 Evolution in Cricket

2019 World Cup Drama: England’s boundary count rule win in the final.
2021 WTC Final: New Zealand beat India in Southampton.
2025 Outlook: The ICC Champions Trophy returns later this year in Pakistan—bringing ODI cricket back into sharp focus.

7. Quotes, Reactions & Social Buzz

"Cricket doesn’t sleep anymore. From Mohali to Melbourne, it’s always prime time." — Harsha Bhogle

"The way Rehan is bowling, England has found their new Swann." — Michael Vaughan

Social media has exploded with highlight reels from Bumrah’s recent spell, Steve Smith’s revival, and debate around cricket’s never-ending calendar.

8. Cricket’s Expanding Legacy

Cricket is no longer a game of patience—it’s a global entertainment juggernaut. And it was June 28, a quiet day off the pitch, that symbolized this evolution from tradition to transformation.

Conclusion:

June 28 reminds us that some of cricket's biggest shifts happen not with a bat or ball, but in boardrooms and broadcasts. From historic Tests to rising stars, today is a quiet giant in cricket’s ever-expanding saga.

Come back tomorrow—another date, another piece of cricketing legend.