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[Saba Sports News] The inaugural Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) T-10 championship, a novel event for cricket enthusiasts, is set to commence from March 2-5, 2024 in Mumbai. This unique tournament will highlight the untapped talent found in India’s streets, using tennis-ball cricket as its medium. Teams from six major cities will participate, showcasing the skills of players selected through a distinctive process.
Prospective participants will be shortlisted from video submissions of their tennis-ball cricket skills, with the selection process happening in late January. The committee, led by Jatin Paranjpe, is opening this opportunity to all age groups, with a special emphasis on including at least one under-19 player in each city team. This approach aims to discover potential talents, especially from rural and tier-two cities.
“From our experience, we can easily make out who has the potential to reach the next level by having a look at the video. Since tennis-ball cricket is quite popular in the rural areas, we expect our talent-scouting team to reach our first target of tapping the two-tier cities,” Paranjpe said.“The selection will be monitored by Pravin Amre (former India cricketer) and me, and we are confident that the ISPL would be a perfect platform for all those wanting to make it big and they have great examples in Mohd Siraj from this very city (Hyderabad), Umesh Yadav and even Umran Malik of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Pravin Amre, a former Indian cricketer, alongside Paranjpe, will oversee the selection. They are confident that ISPL will serve as an ideal platform for aspiring cricketers, citing examples of successful cricketers like Mohd Siraj, Umesh Yadav, and Umran Malik, who have emerged from similar backgrounds.
The ISPL, transitioning from street to stadium, marks India’s first T-10 tennis ball cricket league played in such venues. It will feature six franchises representing cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. With an auction setting players’ prices between ₹3 lakh to ₹50 lakh, the league promises 19 thrilling matches over a week.
Ravi Shastri, the former Indian all-rounder appointed as the chief mentor, highlights the crucial role of street cricket in developing a player’s instinct and skills. He credits his own success, including a memorable confrontation with Shane Warne, to the prowess gained from street cricket.