Just days ahead of the start of much-awaited Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20, the Karnataka State Cricket Association upped the excitement and anticipation by revealing the names of the six captains, who will led their teams’ fight for the title, in a glittering ceremony held at the Southern Star Hotel in Mysuru on Thursday. The grand occasion was also attended by mega star Kicha Sudeep, brand ambassador of the prestigious tournament who is also an avid lover of the sport.
“With just days left for the start of the tournament, we are elated to name the captains who will be leading the fight for their respective teams. I am very grateful to mega star Kicha Sudeep who has taken the time off from his busy schedule to attend this event. He remains a true lover of the sport and I am delighted that he will be the brand ambassador of the tournament,” stated the legendary Roger Binny, Hon. President of KSCA.
The Kalyani Bengaluru Blasters will see India opener Mayank Agarwal as their captain. Earlier in the year, during the IPL, Mayank was captain of the Punjab Kings franchise.
Meanwhile Manish Pandey has been handed the responsibility of leading Gulbarga Mystics while Mysuru Warriors have anointed Karun Nair as the skipper. Ace spinner K Gowtham will walk out for the coin toss when Shivamogga Strikers take the field and the 29-year-old Samarth R has been handed captaincy duties for the Mangalore United side. The Right-arm fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun has been picked to lead the Hubli Tigers side in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20.
“We are very happy that HRH Maharani Pramoda Devi has agreed to inaugurate the tournament on Sunday. She has always shared her husband HRD late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, our former President’s passion for cricket. We look forward to a great tournament which is a great opportunity for players to shine,” stated Vinay Mruthyunjaya, Hon. Treasurer of KSCA.
Actor Kicha Sudeep, meanwhile, lauded the efforts of KSCA and said, "I am very happy that the tournament has returned after a three-year gap in an all-new avatar. There many young cricketers in the state who can make use of this opportunity and I look forward to watching some interesting matches."
KSCA conducted a first-of-its-kind player draft on 31st July. The team sponsors picked their coaching staff through a draft system after which, the coaching staff took charge of drafting players from category A, B, C and D into their respective teams.
Category A included India and IPL players with a salary of INR 5 lakh. The next, Category B, featured State players who have taken part in only one of the senior tournaments (Ranji Trophy/ Vijay Hazare Trophy/ Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and they will be handed purse of INR 2 lakh.
Players who have been part of the age group tournaments (u-19/ u-23) made up Category C with compensation of INR 1 lakh. Finally, Category D comprising Emerging Talent will bag INR 50,000. A total of 740 players featured in the Player Draft, with 14 players in Category A, 32 players in Category B, 111 players in Category C, 583 players in Category D.
The tournament will commence at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Cricket Ground in Mysuru from 7th August with the final scheduled for 26th August in Bengaluru.
The tournament will open with Samarth R’s Mangalore United taking on Abhimanyu Mithun’s Hubli Tigers in the 3pm game on 7th August. The second game of the opening day pits Karun Nair’s Mysuru Warriors against K Gowtham’s Shivamogga Strikers.
About Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20
The marquee Twenty20 cricket tournament will be organised in the memory of the HRH late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the former President of KSCA and Maharaja of Mysore. The Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 will commence on 7th August in Mysore with the first leg of matches being held at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Ground in Mysore. A total of 18 matches will be held in Mysore followed by a total of 16 matches including the final being held in Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Shriram Group will be the title sponsor for the marquee Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20. They have been announced as the title sponsors for a period of 3 years, commencing this season.
The three-week T20 extravaganza will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports Kannada. It will also be streamed live on the Fancode app for larger consumption.