The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) officially inaugurated the Delhi Premier League (DPL) with a trophy unveiling ceremony on Friday (August 2) in New Delhi. DDCA President and Delhi Premier League (DPL) Director Rohan Jaitely inaugurated the trophy along with legendary cricketer Virender Sehwag.
Cricket fans in Delhi are all set for a thrilling experience as the inaugural season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) promises to dazzle with its star power later this month. The DDCA president confirmed that Indian stars Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini and Harshit Rana will be part of the first editions of the DPL.
DDCA announces Delhi Premier League (DPL); Rishabh Pant and others to shine in the tournament
Indian wicket-keeper batsman Pant’s participation, subject to his national duties and availability, has generated a lot of excitement among Delhi fans. The dynamic duo of Saini and Rana are currently touring Sri Lanka with the Indian cricket team for the ongoing three-match ODI series.
The DPL is set to take centre stage in the city, promising an exceptional display of talent and entertainment with the franchise auction seeing six teams sold for a whopping Rs 49.65 crore.
The league has four categories, and players in Group A earn a salary of Rs 10 lakh each. In addition, the winning team will receive a prize of Rs 1 crore from the DDCA.
Rohan Jaitely told IANS: “Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Harshit Rana and other Indian players will participate in the inaugural season of the DPL. I have spoken to Rishabh Pant and he has promised to participate in the league but it just depends on his availability and domestic commitments. But as of now, he will play. Navdeep and Harshit will also participate in the league.”
The DDCA president also revealed that DPL matches will be streamed live on a leading OTT platform, and the league also has DRS with Hawk Eye facilities.
DPL will surely be a fantastic opportunity for players: Virender Sehwag
Meanwhile, former Delhi and India batsman Virender Sehwag has been named as the brand ambassador of DPL. The legendary batsman said that this league will represent an excellent opportunity for those players, who have worked hard but have not got the chance to participate in major tournaments.
Sehwag mentioned that there were no such opportunities available during his playing days, but he was happy that his son would now get a chance to benefit from such leagues.
Virender Sehwag said: “The league will definitely be a fantastic opportunity for those players who work hard in the nets and did not get the opportunity to play in any major tournament. When I was playing as a youngster, we did not get such opportunities to play in different leagues. Now my son is playing; I am glad that he is going to get such opportunities, so yes, it is a great opportunity.”
It is noteworthy that the DPL will begin with a draft involving 270 players from various categories of Delhi cricket, including the national, under-23 and under-19 levels. The inaugural season will feature a total of 40 matches, comprising 33 men’s matches and seven women’s matches.
The six franchises that will compete in the DPL are West Delhi Lions, North Delhi Strikers, South Delhi Superstarz, Purani Delhi-6, Delhi Kings and East Delhi Riders. All the matches of the T20 league will be telecast on Sports 18 and live on JioCinema.
