MUMBAI: The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), India’s pioneering tennis ball T10 cricket tournament to be played inside a stadium, has attracted some investment from legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who will be shaping this format of the sport for years to come as a core committee member.
ISPL issued a statement on Saturday announcing that they had got Tendulkar on board.
“The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), India’s pioneering tennis ball T10 cricket tournament to be played inside a stadium, is proud to announce a ground-breaking association with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster has made a strategic investment in the ISPL and will play a pivotal role in advising and shaping the format of this innovative new T10 cricket league as a core committee member.”
Sharing his enthusiasm about becoming part of the ISPL, Tendulkar said, “The ISPL is envisioned to be a celebration of cricket. My involvement in ISPL is reflective of my journey, which takes me back to my roots. Before graduating to the season ball, I honed my skills in matches played with tennis balls and I am sure the ISPL will give many aspiring cricket enthusiasts a similar opportunity. The exciting format of ISPL formalises a form of cricket that is much played across all age groups. I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the table and contributing to the evolution of this format and the league.”
ISPL hopes to reach out to cricket lovers in every nook and cranny of the country. The league aims to provide a platform for undiscovered talents to showcase their skills and potentially carve a path to playing cricket professionally. With Tendulkar’s involvement, the league is poised to become a significant milestone in the history of Indian cricket.
Ashish Shelar, core committee member, ISPL, said, “We are honoured to welcome Sachin sir to the ISPL. His investment in the league is a testament to his belief in the format. Sachin will bring his passion and expertise to ISPL and support the long-term development and growth of the league.”
Amol Kale, another core committee member of the league, said that the league brings a professional format to raw and thrilling street cricket and the ISPL looks forward to Sachin’s help in making it a success.
“We welcome Sachin Tendulkar to ISPL, a format that is close to our hearts. The ISPL brings a professional league format to the raw and thrilling experience of street cricket and I look forward to Sachin helping to make our vision for the ISPL a reality. He will add immense value to ISPL,” he said.
Suraj Samat, Commissioner, ISPL, said that the insights by the cricketing legends will help transform the game at the grassroots level.
“At ISPL, we are finding talent by giving everyone an opportunity to play a professional game of cricket with a tennis ball. Sachin’s insights and guidance will be invaluable in this pursuit as we strive to transform the game at the grassroots level,” said Suraj.
Scheduled to kick off from March 6 in Mumbai, the inaugural edition of ISPL promises an exciting roster of matches, featuring six competitive teams: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir).
Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) has also recently announced the invitation to bid for the co-ownership across the six teams, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Srinagar, with bids starting at Rs 10 lakhs. (ANI)