Delhi has joined the franchise bandwagon. The inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) will kick off later this month (August 17), and big names like Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, and Harshit Rana will headline the event, which will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
“Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Harshit Rana and other Indian players will feature in the inaugural season of DPL. I had a talk with Rishabh Pant and he has promised me to participate in the league but it only depends on his availability and national commitments. But as of now, he will be playing. Navdeep and Harshit will also feature in the league,” said Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) chief and league president Rohan Jaitely at the trophy presentation ceremony.
DPL: 6 teams, 40 games & women action
An auction for the sale of six men’s teams was held on July 28, and they were sold for Rs 49.65 crore. The six franchises are West Delhi Lions, North Delhi Strikers, South Delhi Superstarz, Purani Delhi-6, Delhi Kings, East Delhi Riders.
Women cricketers will also feature in the Delhi Premier League but will play just 7 matches, while men will feature in 33, as a total of 40 games will be played. 270 players from the Delhi national, U23, and U19 teams are in the draft for the DPL.
Not only Saina, Pant, or Harshit, but we might also see other stars like Ishant Sharma, Yash Dhull, Mayank Yadav, and Anuj Rawat, all of whom have featured in the IPL. There won’t be any scheduling issues in the first half of the DPL, but since the Final will be played on September 8, it will clash with the Duleep Trophy, which starts on September 5.
