Usain Bolt, the legendary Jamaican sprinter and eight-time Olympic champion, has voiced his intention to compete in the Indian Premier League, the world’s richest cricket league. Bolt, who has previously earned awards for his achievements in field and track events, has stated that cricket, not athletics, was his first passion. Bolt claimed that his father encouraged him to pursue a career in athletics. He’s now considering a career in cricket, and he’d like to play in the IPL, where many Jamaican superstars like Chris Gayle and Andre Russell compete.
During a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the 35-year-old athlete stated that he would also like to participate in the lucrative IPL. He grew up watching cricket, he remarked. When asked if he wants to play in the upcoming 15th season of the IPL in 2022, he answered, “I’ll get my training on.” I’ll get in shape and prepare. Football and cricket were the two most popular sports in Jamaica at the time. As cited by HT, he continued, “I was a huge fan of cricket since my father was a big follower of it.”
Bolt, who retired from track and field in 2017, stated that he was a supporter of the Pakistani team. He enjoyed watching Pakistani bowler Waqar Younis, he remarked. “I was a big Pakistan fan until I realised I should truly support my home team when I got older,” Bolt added.
If Bolt is selected for the IPL, he will be the first Olympic gold medallist to play in the competition. Bolt has already dabbled in football. For a brief moment, he was a member of the Central Coast Mariners, an Australian professional soccer team.
Following the addition of two new clubs, Lucknow and Ahmedabad, the IPL 2022 competition will feature ten teams competing for the trophy. Following the retention of the original eight teams, a massive player auction is expected to take place in late December or early January.