Mumbai [India], September 24: The T20 Mumbai League is expanding to nine teams, with Aspects Sports securing the operating rights for a new franchise representing Navi Mumbai. The franchise rights have been awarded for ₹106.88 crore for six years, with the first-season fee set at ₹12.21 crore. The new Navi Mumbai team is expected to enter the competition from the 2027 edition.
The announcement was made by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) after Aspects Sports emerged as the successful bidder for the league’s ninth franchise. The addition expands the tournament beyond its existing eight-team structure and gives Navi Mumbai a dedicated presence in one of Maharashtra’s prominent franchise-based T20 competitions.
The six-year agreement works out to an average franchise-rights commitment of roughly ₹17.81 crore per year, although the actual annual payments are structured according to the league’s agreement, beginning with ₹12.21 crore for the first season. The commercial development also marks an expansion of the league beyond its traditional Mumbai footprint into the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
For Navi Mumbai, the franchise could provide a new platform for local and emerging cricketers to gain exposure at a higher level. The MCA said the expansion is intended to bring more players from the region into the competitive cricket ecosystem and create additional opportunities for young talent.
MCA president Ajinkya Naik described the expansion into Navi Mumbai as an important step in taking the game closer to different parts of the Mumbai cricketing ecosystem. He said the ninth franchise would broaden the league’s reach while creating opportunities for emerging cricketers to showcase their skills.
Rajdip Gupta, chairman of the T20 Mumbai League Governing Council, said the addition of the ninth team represents a new phase in the league’s development. According to the governing council, expanding the franchise base is expected to strengthen the competition’s ecosystem and increase opportunities for players while deepening engagement with audiences across the region.
The new franchise will be operated by Aspects Sports, which is owned by Aspect Global Ventures. Aksha Kamboj, executive chairperson of Aspect Global Ventures, said the company sees cricket as an important part of its wider sporting plans. The organisation said its association with the T20 Mumbai League is intended to help build a long-term presence across multiple sporting disciplines while creating opportunities for athletes.
The timing of the expansion is significant because the 2026 T20 Mumbai League season featured several established Indian players, including Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan and Tushar Deshpande. Rohit Sharma is the league’s Face of the League.
The 2026 season was completed with eight franchises, and the Navi Mumbai addition will take the competition to nine teams from the next edition. The new team is therefore expected to begin building its squad, identity and local fan base ahead of its entry into the league.
The move could also strengthen the connection between Navi Mumbai’s established cricketing community and a professional franchise environment. With several cricket grounds, clubs and young players across Navi Mumbai and neighbouring areas, the new team will have a regional base from which to identify talent.
The franchise announcement also adds another sporting property to Navi Mumbai at a time when the city is seeing major expansion in infrastructure, entertainment and commercial activity. A dedicated T20 franchise could give the region another avenue for sporting events and fan engagement.
The ₹106.88-crore deal, meanwhile, underlines the growing commercial value being attached to the T20 Mumbai League. While the franchise fee is a business arrangement between the league and the successful bidder, the six-year commitment gives the Navi Mumbai team a defined long-term presence rather than being a one-season addition.
The next major focus will be on how Aspects Sports builds the franchise ahead of the 2027 season, including its team identity, management structure, player recruitment and local engagement plans. For Navi Mumbai cricket fans, the arrival of a dedicated team means the city will soon have its own representation in the T20 Mumbai League.
With the ninth franchise now confirmed, the T20 Mumbai League is set to enter its next season with an expanded structure and a new geographical footprint. Navi Mumbai will officially join the league’s franchise map from the 2027 edition, giving players and fans from the region a new connection to the tournament.
