Sher-e-Punjab T20 League unveiled; Shubman, Arshdeep, Prabhsimran, Ramandeep among star attractions
New Chandigarh, August 2
The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League was officially launched at the PCA International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh, on Sunday, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Punjab cricket.
The tournament will be played from August 30 to September 13 and is set to feature some of the biggest names from the state, including India captain Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Prabhsimran Singh and Ramandeep Singh, according to a press release from PCA.
The league was launched by PCA Secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and President Amarjeet Singh Mehta in the presence of Indian Cricket Captain Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh.
A total of six teams will compete in 27 high-voltage matches for the coveted title. The tournament will be played in a round-robin format. Each franchise will have one marquee player and at least two icon players, ensuring a perfect blend of international stars, domestic performers and emerging talent from Punjab.
The official logo of the tournament was also unveiled during the launch ceremony, adding to the excitement ahead of the inaugural edition.
India Captain Shubman Gill said, "The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is a fantastic platform for young cricketers to showcase their talent and progress towards playing for Punjab and India. Punjab has always produced outstanding cricketers, and I believe this league will help discover many more. I congratulate the Punjab Cricket Association for this wonderful initiative and wish the league great success."
Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Secretary, Punjab Cricket Association, said, "Punjab has always been one of India's strongest contributors to cricket. From Lala Amarnath to legends like Yuvraj Singh, and now players like Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur, the state has consistently produced world-class cricketers. The depth of talent in Punjab is unmatched, and that is why we believe the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League will become one of the country's premier domestic T20 competitions."
He said that the Punjab Cricket League is a visionary initiative of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and aims to provide a professional platform for emerging cricketers from Punjab to showcase their talent and advance to higher levels of the game.
"This league will provide young cricketers with a platform to showcase their talent alongside international stars and take the next step in their careers. We are grateful to all the players, the Punjab Cricket Association, and everyone associated with this initiative. We are confident the league will be a grand success," added Meet Hayer.
Amarjeet Mehta, President, Punjab Cricket Association, said, "The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is a wonderful platform for the young cricketers of our state, and we are grateful to Hon'ble Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his constant support in making this vision a reality. The league will give aspiring players the opportunity to share the dressing room with international stars, showcase their talent on a bigger stage, and take the next step forward in their cricketing journey. We thank all the players, the Punjab Cricket Association, and everyone associated with this initiative. We are confident the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League will be a grand success and play an important role in shaping and further cementing the future of Punjab cricket."
On the occasion, Punjab Cricket Association Secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, President Amarjeet Mehta, Vice President Deepak Bali, Treasurer Sunil Gupta and Joint Secretary Sidhant Sharma felicitated the franchise owners and cricketers.
The auction date for the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League was also announced during the launch event and will be held on August 9. The six franchises representing Amritsar, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Bathinda will assemble their squads ahead of the inaugural season.
Each franchise will have a salary purse of INR 45 lakh. The Marquee Player's price has been fixed at INR 10 lakh, while the base price for an Icon Player is INR 1.50 lakh. The base price for Punjab First-Class players has been set at INR 1 lakh, U-23 players at INR 75,000, U-19 players at INR 50,000, and District players at INR 20,000. Each franchise can have a maximum squad size of 20 players.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Excellent initiative by PCA! The presence of Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh at the launch shows how much this means for Punjab cricket. 🎯 But I hope the focus remains on grassroots development rather than just making money. With 27 matches in 15 days, the scheduling looks tight, but exciting times ahead for Punjabi cricket fans!
Great to see the CM's vision materializing! The infrastructure at PCA International Stadium is world-class, and this league will only help Punjab produce more international stars. 🙌 The auction on August 9 will be interesting - with only ₹45 lakh purse, the franchises will need to be smart with their picks. Also good to see representation from smaller cities like Fazilka and Bathinda.
As someone from outside Punjab, I'm genuinely excited about this! The state has always been a cricket powerhouse - from Bishen Singh Bedi to Yuvraj, Harbhajan, and now Shubman. This league could be a game-changer for domestic cricket in India. Hope they get good broadcast coverage!
Finally! Something concrete for Punjab's budding cricketers. The base price structure is also well thought out - ₹50,000 for U-19 players makes it accessible for young talents. But I do wonder about the timeline - August 30 to September 13 is quite packed with 27 matches. Hope the players' workload is managed properly, especially with international commitments coming up. 🤔
This is fantastic news for cricket lovers! Punjab has always been known for producing aggressive batsmen and fiery pacers - the perfect recipe
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.