Sher-e-Punjab T20 League an important step in strengthening cricketing pathway in Punjab, says Mehta
New Delhi, Aug 10
Punjab Cricket Association President Amarjit Singh Mehta said on Monday the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League will serve as an 'important step in strengthening the cricketing pathway in Punjab,' and provide young local players the opportunity to showcase their talent alongside established international stars.
His comments come at a time when all six franchises have finalised their squads at the auction ahead of the upcoming tournament, with India's ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill and T20I opener Abhishek Sharma set to feature.
Fazilka Falcons, Amritsar Soormas, Bathinda Royals, Jalandhar Warriors, Ludhiana Lions, and Mohali Kings built their rosters from a starting purse of Rs 45 lakh each, while six marquee players were signed for Rs 10 lakh apiece.
Gill will turn out for Fazilka Falcons, while Abhishek will represent his home team, Amritsar Soormas. India pacer Arshdeep Singh will play for Ludhiana Lions, while wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh joins Jalandhar Warriors. Seam-bowling all-rounder Ramandeep Singh heads to Mohali Kings, while pacer Gurnoor Brar has gone to Bathinda Royals.
Franchises were mandated to build squads ranging between 16 and 20 players. All-rounder Sanvir Singh emerged as the most expensive buy of the auction after Fazilka Falcons secured him for Rs 13.20 lakh.
Amritsar Soormas acquired Naman Dhir for Rs 10.80 lakh, while Mohali Kings bought Amolpreet Singh for Rs 8.20 lakh. Bathinda Royals signed Harnoor Singh and Ashwani Kumar for Rs 7 lakh each, and Sukhdeep Bajwa went to Jalandhar Warriors for Rs 6 lakh.
"We have worked tirelessly with the Punjab Chief Minister to turn this vision into reality, and we are delighted to see it taking shape. The PCA Stadium in Mohali is a special venue, and every cricketer dreams of playing here.
"Through this league, we want to give players from every part of Punjab the opportunity to step onto this iconic ground, gain valuable experience and showcase their talent on a bigger stage. We believe this will be an important step in strengthening the cricketing pathway in Punjab and creating more opportunities for our young players," Mehta said in a statement on Monday.
Squads
Fazilka Falcons: Shubman Gill, Vihaan Malhotra, Sanvir Singh, Prerit Dutta, Raghu Sharma, Anmoljeet Singh, Jasan Jindal, Eish Rao, Garv Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Laksay Kasal, Karanveer Singh, Navpreet Singh, Anshul Chaudhary, Jaiveer Bhinder, Ayushmaan Ayushmaan, Pranshu Pratap, Aarush Latta, Kirandeep Singh, Immanuel Deveser.
Amritsar Soormas: Abhishek Sharma, Mayank Markande, Naman Dhir, Rahul Kumar, Sahil Khan, Jasanpreet Singh, Dhurv Rahul Jindal, ReevanPreet Singh, Prabhjit Singh, Ishan Sood, Adhiraj Singh Mangat, Abhay Choudhary, Dhruv Bhagania, Shubham Rana, Sahaj Dhawan, Ishmeet Singh Sandhu, Navneet Virk, Akash Pandey, Vaibhav Kalra, Jaipratap Singh Johal.
Bathinda Royals: Gurnoor Brar, Harnoor Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Uday Saharan, Gourav Choudhary, Sumit Sharma, Dev Amritpal Singh, Ridham Satyawan, Ashish Lowrance, Jatin Sahota, Abir Kohli, Rishabh Gupta, Noorveer Singh, Tavleen Singh, Shahbaz Singh Sandhu, Simranjeet Singh Gharu, Imrozpreet Singh, Harshit Parashar, Lovepreet Kamboj.
Jalandhar Warriors: Prabhsimran Singh, Emanjot Singh Chahal, Vishwa Pratap Singh, Abhinav Sharma, Sukhdeep Bajwa, Anmol Malhotra, Mayan Gupta, Yash Karan, Harjas Singh Tandon, Aryan Yadav, Shaanvir Kalsi, Paras Jaidka, Umesh Gill, Randeep Singh, Jaskirat Singh, Depinder Cheema, Arpan Walia, Gurvinder Singh Bhullar, Subinay Mahajan, Gourav Markan.
Ludhiana Lions: Arshdeep Singh, Krish Bhagat, Salil Arora, Jass Inder, Abhijeet Garg, Arjun Rajput, Yuvi Goyal, Kartik Chadha, Taranveer Singh Randhawa, Havneet Singh, Rajvir Jaswal, Harish Kumar, Bikramjeet Singh, Madhav Singh Pathania, Karteek Sharma, Lovedeep Singh Kharod, Lovekirat Singh, Aseem Kohli, Gurman Singh, Sahil Bhaskan.
Mohali Kings: Ramandeep Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ayush Goyal, Sagar Virk, Jaskaran Veer Singh Paul, Yuvraj Maan, Harshdeep Singh, Aalam Bakshi, Tanmay Dharni, Saksheya, Aryan Bhatia, Lovepreet Chatha, Gurmehar Sra, Karan Choudhary, Souraab Dhaliwal, Tejpreet Singh, Nipun Pandita, Manpreet Johal, Rajinder Singh Devgan.
— IANS
Reader Comments
A domestic T20 league with top Indian stars in it? That's a smart move. It reminds me of how the IPL transformed Indian cricket. Giving local players a chance to share the dressing room with international stars is priceless experience. Hope this becomes a regular fixture in the cricket calendar.
The Rs 45 lakh purse seems small compared to IPL but honestly, for a state league it's fine. The real value is the exposure. My cousin plays district cricket in Patiala and he says there are so many good players who just need one platform to get noticed. This league could be life-changing for some of these youngsters.
Good initiative but I wish they'd also focus on infrastructure in smaller towns. We have talent in abundance but our grounds in mofussil areas are in bad shape. League is fine, but let's not forget the basics. Still, credit to PCA for trying something new.
Solid concept. Indian cricket has always been about producing talent from unexpected places. A state-level T20 league with decent budgets and star attractions can uncover the next Arshdeep Singh. The fact that six marquee players are already committed shows how serious this is. Excited to see how it plays out.
So proud to see Amritsar Soormas with Abhishek Sharma playing for his home team! 🤩 This is how you build local connect. Kids will idolize these players and dream of wearing that jersey one day. PCA Stadium in Mohali is iconic and now it will host our own warriors. Jai Punjab!
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