Gambhir unveils Indian junior players league
New Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Star batsman Gautam Gambhir on Thursday unveiled the Indian Junior Players League Twenty-20 (IJPL T20), a talent hunt for boys aged 14 to 18 years.
The tournament, which will be played with the pink ball, will witness budding cricketers in action from 22 cities.
The cities where the selection camps will be conducted include Delhi, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Chandigarh, Amritsar. The selection process will be carried out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) certified coaches and Ranji trophy players.
The winning team will get prize money of Rs.21 lakh while the first runner-up will bag Rs.11 lakh. Many international cricket stars like Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Keiron Pollard and Jonty Rhodes have already been signed as mentors.
Gambhir, who is the brand ambassador of the IJPL, hailed this grassroots programme saying it is the perfect opportunity for budding players to showcase their skills.
“Talent is god-gifted but a platform to showcase this talent is not. This tournament is a perfect opportunity for the young cricketers to become stars,” the southpaw said.
“It is the chance to graduate from ‘Gali’ cricket to playing with the capacity crowds,” he added.