NEW DELHI, Sept 16: Cricketing legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath will play in an inaugural Twenty20 league in India next year, a top cricket board official said on Sunday.

The Australians and recently retired New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming have signed deals with Board of Control for Cricket in India to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL), its vice-president Lalit Modi said.

The IPL, a domestic Twenty20 competition to be held in India in April next year, offers three million dollars in prize money and will have eight teams to be bought by franchisees.

The IPL, which enjoys the backing of the International Cricket Council, will see the top two sides making it to an international Champions Twenty20 League to be played at an as yet undecided venue in October next year.

“Warne, McGrath and Fleming have signed contracts to play in the IPL,” Modi said.

“The trio will be a part of our centralised pool of players and available for signing by the franchisees,” said Modi, a key figure in the seven-member governing council set up by the BCCI for the new initiative.—AFP