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DUBAI: India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli was announced as a new investor in the World Bowling League (WBL), marking a significant milestone in redefining the future of bowling as a global sport.
Virat joined the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts as high-profile partners in the venture.
The league founded by Dubai-based Adi K. Mishra is turning the game with updated gameplay, mixed-gender teams, and global events. The aim of this transformation is to change bowling into a widely popular spectator sport.
Virat Kohli expressed his thoughts following an announcement, stating his love for the game.
“I started bowling when I was 11 years old, spinning the ball by 12,” Kohli said.
“It is evident how popular the sport is while being underappreciated as a business proposition,” he added.
The 36-year-old Kohli, a modern-day great, is the world’s third-most-followed athlete on Instagram. Only football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have more followers than Kohli.
The founder and CEO of League Sports Co. emphasized Kohli’s decision to invest in bowling.
“When I discovered Virat is also a bowler, it was exciting to align on this new-age vision for the sport,” said Adi K. Mishra.
“Virat’s relentless drive for sports mirrors our own. Every week, we uncover more about bowling’s global depth and fascinating history — it’s a sleeping giant we’re ready to awaken, ” he further added.
It is worth mentioning that the WBL hasn’t announced the remainder of its team lineup, but there are expected to be franchises around the world, including in Dubai.
Two years earlier, in 2023, the league’s organizer stated that the WBL would host 12 to 15 events per year, spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia, with plans for expansion within five years.
It was expected that eight and 12 franchises would compete in the first year, with every team including at least two women to promote gender balance.
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