KPL set to take off again

Tournament, to be named after Wadiyar, will begin in August

The glamour in the third edition of the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) is set to rise a notch or two. 

Apart from two new franchises, a new celebrity team – called the ‘All Star team’ led by Kannada film star Sudeep – will also be invited to take part in the league. 

Making the announcement here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, KSCA Secretary, Brijesh Patel, said the tournament will be named after the late Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, scion of the erstwhile Mysore Royal family. 

Brijesh stated that Wadiyar was the main man behind the resumption of the KPL (the last of the first two editions was held in 2010).

"It was the wish of Wadiyar to restart the KPL, as he believed that it provided good opportunities to mofussil players. The KSCA thanks him for his vision," Brijesh said.

The total number of francishes taking part in KPL 2014 will be revealed after the completion of the tender process on July 22. 

The locations up for grabs for the existing as well as the new franchises are Bangalore Metro, Greater Bangalore, Belgaum, Bellary, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Mysore, Raichur and Shimoga. 

The existing franchises – eight – have the first right of refusal provided they agree to the reworked values of the franchises which has been conveyed to them. The existing owners need to get back with their decision on or before July 22. 

The tentative date for the beginning of this year’s edition is August 23. The 16-day tournament will culminate with the final at Mysore on September 7, it was announced.

All the matches will be day/night affairs. The teams will play their matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Rajnagar ground in Hubli and Gangothri Glades in Mysore.  

Meanwhile, the player auction pool will be divided in two categories – the first will have players who have represented Karnataka, while the second will have players who compete in the KSCA leagues. The State’s top cricketers are also expected to compete.

Teams on offer: Bangalore Metro, Greater Bangalore, Belgaum, Bellary, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Mangalore, Mysore, Raichur and Shimoga.