Déjà vu, anyone? A little over a month after yet one more franchise based tennis ball cricket league – ambitiously titled “World Tennis Ball Premier League T10” – was launched in Jaipur, comes the official launch of Tennis Ball Cricket Premier League (TBCPL 10).
The promoters of TBCPL 10 on Tuesday announced in Dubai that the inaugural season of the tennis ball cricket T10 tournament, featuring eight franchise teams, is scheduled to take place from May 26 to June 5 at a venue still to be confirmed.
Per an official release, the tournament, which will be exclusively broadcast on Sony Sports Network, “promises to bring the excitement of tennis ball cricket to millions of viewers globally”.
Per the organisers, the tournament “promises to bring the excitement of tennis ball cricket to millions of viewers globally”. The “groundbreaking professional tennis ball cricket league will showcase franchises representing key Indian cities: Mumbai Mavericks, Delhi Dynamos, Bangalore Blasters, Kolkata Kings, Chandigarh Champions, Hyderabad Hunters, Ahmedabad Avengers, and Chennai Challengers.
While there is yet no word on the owners of said eight franchises, what is confirmed is that retired cricket star Yuvraj Singh has been onboarded as brand ambassador of TBCPL 10.
The tournament structure includes 31 league matches followed by four playoff games. In a comprehensive talent search initiative, TBCPL 10 will conduct trials across 50 cities in India, including major centres in North, East, and Central zones, ensuring representation from “every corner of the country”, an official release asserts.
The league will conduct its inaugural player auction on May 5-6, where the eight franchises will build their teams from the pool of players selected through the India-wide trials.
Speaking about his role, Yuvraj Singh expressed: “I am thrilled to be part of this historic moment in cricket. TBCPL 10 is the first tournament to bring professional tennis ball cricket talents from so many Indian cities simultaneously. Now, we are elevating this format to a professional level across multiple cities. It’s a dream come true for many aspiring cricketers who will now have a platform to showcase their talent.”
League stakeholder Mohit Joon of TBC Pvt Ltd (?), emphasized the “unprecedented scale” of the tournament: “TBCPL 10 is making history as the first professional tennis ball cricket league to endorse talents simultaneously across eight major Indian locations. With trials planned in 50 cities, we are creating the most extensive talent scouting network in tennis ball cricket history. Having Yuvraj Singh on board adds tremendous value to our vision, and our partnership with Sony Sports Network ensures the widest possible reach for this exciting format. We are confident that this tournament will revolutionize tennis ball cricket as an important cricketing avenue to be perceived and played well.”
League promoter Naresh Pawar lauded the initiative, sharing: “The launch of TBCPL 10 marks a landmark moment in T10 sports. Our sustainable business model sets new standards in cricket administration and commercial viability. Never before has tennis ball cricket been organized at this scale across so many cities. This tournament unlike many others will bridge the gap between street cricket and professional sports, creating new opportunities for talents across the country. We are particularly excited about the tournament’s potential to discover hidden gems from every corner of these cities.”
Grandiose claims notwithstanding, there is already the Indian Street Premier League, a tennis ball T10 tournament that successfully completed its inaugural edition last year, that TBCPL 10 has to compete with for share of mind, footfalls, and advertising.
ISPL, which boasts cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar as stakeholder and tournament ambassador, as well as celebrity anchor owners from the Indian film industry, conducted the player auction for its second edition on December 11. The auction featured a total of 350 players selected from across 55 cities through trials (sounds familiar TBCPL 10 promoters?).
Interestingly, word is still awaited on the exact dates of the second season of ISPL. It bears noting that it had been announced during the players auction that the tournament’s second season was to be held in January and February.
