Indian Street Premier League: The seeds of a private tennis ball cricket league were planted in 2021 by a talent hunt in Dharavi, the biggest slum in Asia, among some notable participants in the sport. Inspired by the skill on exhibit—some of whom went on to play club cricket in Mumbai—Amol Kale, president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), devised a strategy to move these cricket players from the pavement to the stadium. The outcome is a 10-over tennis ball competition called the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), which will begin play on Wednesday.
According to Kale, the goal is to alter cricket’s socioeconomic structure, “When we brought the Dharavi boys into the mainstream, the league’s concept was born. We made the decision to have a professional tennis ball cricket format so that these players could participate in games in stadiums and make money from it.”
The six teams that make up the inaugural Indian Super League (ISPL) are Majhi Mumbai, Bangalore Strikers, Chennai Singhams, Falcon Risers Hyderabad, and Tiigers of Kolkata. Along with Kale, the core committee members are former India captain Sachin Tendulkar and treasurer Ashish Shelar of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The mentor is former World Cup player and coach Ravi Shastri, who is currently a broadcaster.
Actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ram Charan, Hrithik Roshan, Suriya, Saif Ali Khan, and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who are co-owners of their respective teams, are adding a glamorous touch to the Indian Super League.
Indian Street Premier League:
The man who came up with the Dharavi talent hunt, ISPL Commissioner Suraj Samat, claims he is only implementing Kale’s idea. Samat, an MCA apex council member, says, “Those kids had a lot of fire in them. However, we came to the realization that if they don’t break through and enter the mainstream, they won’t have any opportunities. Amol Kale then decided that we should do something for their upliftment and find talent from the grassroots.”
When Kale first told Shelar and Tendulkar about his plan, they were both enthusiastic and worked together to make it a reality. Shelar, who participated in tennis ball cricket for his school, college, and bar while he was a practising attorney said, “There is a ton of talent out there… cricket players who want to play for their country and become big stars. Not everyone, though, is fortunate enough to receive the proper direction and opportunity to fulfil their dreams.”
ISPL Info:
He further added, “These athletes have been having fun and showing off their street cricket skills. We reasoned that we could create an environment, assist them in improving their abilities, and enable them to earn more money. We want them to become well-known, wealthy, and respected.”
Six ISPL teams were up for bid, with bids totalling Rs1,165 crore in response to the “invitation to bid” with a base price of Rs10 lakh. Neeti Agrawal, director of PATH India Ltd. and co-owner of Majhi Mumbai, says, “We decided to move forward with the street-to-stadium concept because we liked it. It’s a good way of promoting players and giving them a platform to earn name and fame.”
She goes on, “We want to be associated with the Indian Super League for the rest of our lives. We are committed to the league for ten years.” They also mention that they sponsor the Madhya Pradesh cricket and tennis tournaments, as well as the Indore Marathon.”
The chairman of Aspect Global and co-owner of Tiigers of Kolkata, Aksha Kamboj, agrees. She said, “I jumped at the chance to be associated with it because it’s an exciting concept. The development of talent is the main goal. I’m manifesting that some of these guys will be huge heroes in two or three years. It’s similar to giving back. and it makes you feel good to know that you are helping others by giving people at the grassroots level a chance to show off their abilities.”
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It was also encouraging to see the players’ reaction to the registrations. On the day of registration, over 18 lakh people registered from all over the nation for 96 player slots, according to Kale, who claims that 20 lakh applicants logged in.
Pravin Amre and Jatin Paranjpe, two former cricket players from India, are ISPL selectors. “Every participant who signed up received a bat. The intention is to establish a cult,” says Samat, who is also a committee member of the BKC District Sports Club.
The first season of the 18-match competition, which will take place at Dadoji Kondadev Stadium in Thane, Mumbai, with a March 15 final, has been awarded exclusively to Sony Pictures Networks. The partner for ticketing is BookMyShow.
Although it can be challenging for a private sports league to turn a profit in its early years, Kale emphasizes that this is not how they are considering things. Kale, who is also the founder and CEO of the diverse business group JK Solutions Pvt Ltd. says, “Motivation is not profit… The motivation is distinct, and we have largely been successful in that regard. The goal is to give as many people as possible the chance to play in stadiums, not just to make a profit.”
The league’s rules and regulations were created by Tendulkar, who as a young boy played tennis ball cricket and was known to cart bowlers in the Sahitya Sahwas compound, his Bandra home. Some of them will take you by surprise. “Sachin has put a lot of effort into them,” states Shelar, the Mumbai BJP president.
According to Kale, “The Master Blaster was ecstatic to discuss the Indian Super League (ISPL) with the Bharat Ratna. He was essentially thinking that someone ought to initiate a tennis ball cricket initiative. He was overjoyed to join the league.”
Sachin Tendulkar x ISPL:
In fact, Tendulkar’s coach, the late Ramakant Achrekar, was dubbed the tennis ball cricket equivalent of Don Bradman. His skill and reputation were so great that multiple teams would ask him to play for them in tennis ball competitions.
In addition, Kale initiated contact with the actors; he claims he didn’t need to meet any celebrities twice to persuade them to participate in the ISPL. All of these names were first choices, and the league’s mission appealed to them. Admitting that the ISPL does require some star power, he went to the six stars.
The MCA president states, “They are co-owners and have sweat equity as per their arrangements with the teams. They are the face of the league and are giving their time which is as good as investment.” Additionally, the league will pay them the agreed-upon structured fees.
According to Shelar, every actor supports the league’s mission and is excited to assist some aspiring cricket players. “We appreciate their ability to dedicate themselves both professionally and socially, wanting to make a positive impact on the players.”
Both Kamboj and Agrawal agree that celebrity participation increases media attention and gives the sport a whole new level of glitz and excitement.
Entertainment x Cricket:
The league hopes to capitalize on two of the nation’s greatest passions: entertainment and cricket. According to Samat, there will be concerts every day of the league, and performers like rapper MC Stan and singer Yo Yo Honey Singh have been invited to participate.
In fact, there is an exhibition match between teams captained by Tendulkar and Kumar that takes place before the first game and involves former cricket players as well as people from the entertainment industry.
Even though this is the inaugural season, the Indian Super League has big plans for the future. It is inevitable that the league will grow, and according to Kale, they might even add more teams in the years to come. During the competition, a Middle East version is anticipated to be revealed as well.
So, this was all about the Indian Street Premier League. Also read, ISPL Game Inaugural Highlights: From Celebs to performances
