ISPL Season 3 Kicks Off with Star-Studded Ceremony in Surat

ISPL Season 3 gets underway on Friday at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium in Surat, promising a month-long festival of high-octane tennis-ball T10 cricket and a vibrant celebration of India's street-cricket culture, as per a release from ISPL.

Scheduled from January 9 to February 6, the third season will feature eight franchises competing across 44 fast-paced matches, showcasing raw talent, fearless cricket and electrifying entertainment.

The season opener will see defending champions Majhi Mumbai take on Srinagar Ke Veer in a marquee clash. Ahead of the first match, fans will be treated to a spectacular opening ceremony starting at 5 PM.

ISPL Core Committee member Sachin Tendulkar will arriving to set the tone for a memorable evening. The ceremony will also be graced by ISPL Core Committee members Ashish Shelar, Minal Amol Kale and Suraj Samat, along with Dipak Chauhan, President - Operations, Head of Selection Committee Pravin Amre and Jatin Paranjpe, team co-owners Amitabh Bachchan and Neeti Agarwal (Majhi Mumbai), Akshay Kumar (Srinagar Ke Veer), Suriya and Rajdip Gupta (Chennai Singams), Izazahmad Khanusiya (Ahmedabad Lions), Ram Charan and Khizra Bandukwala (Falcon Risers Hyderabad), Sanjay Dangi (Bengaluru Strikers) and Aksha Kamboj (Tiigers of Kolkata), and Arpita Khan Sharma (Delhi Superheros), and Rupali Ganguly, making it a star-studded celebration for players and fans alike.

ISPL Season 3 will feature eight teams, including defending champions Majhi Mumbai (co-owned by Amitabh Bachchan), Tiigers of Kolkata (Sourav Ganguly, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan), Srinagar Ke Veer (Akshay Kumar), Chennai Singams (Suriya), Bengaluru Strikers (Hrithik Roshan) and Falcon Risers Hyderabad (Ram Charan), alongside new entrants Delhi Superheros (Salman Khan) and Ahmedabad Lions (Ajay Devgn), adding further excitement and competition to the league.

The playoffs schedule adds further excitement, with Qualifier 1 on February 3, the Eliminator on February 4, Qualifier 2 on February 5, and the grand finale on February 6.

Speaking ahead of the season, Suraj Samat, Core Committee Member and League Commissioner, ISPL, said: "ISPL has grown rapidly by staying true to its vision of creating a professional and aspirational platform for grassroots cricket talent. Season 3 marks a significant step forward in scale, competition, and overall experience. We have placed strong emphasis on fan engagement and match-day atmosphere, and we urge fans to come to the stadiums to experience the energy of ISPL live."

With a record prize pool of Rs 5.92 crore, ISPL Season 3 represents a major step forward in scale and opportunity. Individual excellence will also be recognised, with the Most Valuable Player of the season winning a brand-new Porsche 911.

The league's impact is already evident. Abhishek Kumar Dalhor, on the back of his ISPL performances, was selected as a net bowler by Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2025. Irfan Umair from Falcon Risers Hyderabad went on to make his Ranji Trophy debut for Mumbai in 2025.

Season 3 is expected to further spotlight emerging talents such as Saif Ali, Vijay Pawle, Jagannath Sarkar and Ankur Singh, reinforcing ISPL's role as a launchpad for homegrown stars.

With electrifying on-field action, celebrity-backed franchises and presence of top grassroots talent, ISPL Season 3 promises fans an immersive, high-energy sporting spectacle and aspiring cricketers a platform to dream big.

- ANI