Kerala Cricket Association launch six-team franchise T20 league

CHENNAI: The Kerala Cricket Association launched a six-team franchise-based T20 league for the men on Friday. The T20 league, which will have 33 matches, is expected to begin in early September with all the games played at The Sports Hub in Thiruvananthapuram.

The teams will play each other twice before the tournament moves on to the semifinals and the final. Apart from the 33 men’s games, there will also be a women’s exhibition game before the final.

“We have been planning this tournament for the past couple of years. Now, it all came together,” KCA secretary Vinod S Kumar told TNIE.

“In the last couple of years, almost every state has come up with their own T20 league. We decided to start this year itself. With the window available in September, it will be helpful for the players to have the tournament before the domestic season begins,” he added.

In the process of putting together this tournament, KCA has consulted with the KPMG firm to study the viable model and oversee the bidding process.

Based on the study, the base price for each team is set at Rs 1 crore and each franchise will have a purse of Rs 35 lakhs to sign the players. The auction is expected to happen by the end of July.

Star Sports is the official broadcaster for the tournament, while FanCode is the digital streaming partner.

Wayanad District Association’s Nazir Machan is appointed as Chairman of the Governing Council, while Vinod will act as the convenor of the GC.

Apart from the opportunity the tournament provides for players, KCA are planning to create a benevolent fund for former first-class cricketers and curators and other staff from the state.

“Whatever profit we get, we are planning to use 70 per cent of it to create a beovolent fund for former players those who are not getting any pension from the BCCI, and former umpires, curators who were involved with cricket,” Vinod said.