New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) The UPT20 League Governing Council Chairman Sanjay Kapoor predicted that Uttar Pradesh’s franchise T20 league – UPT20 League – will rise to the top in India across states and will be only behind the lucrative Indian Premier League in the next five years.
The league, which is in its fourth season, has been one of the most popular state leagues in the country, with footfall from several Indian internationals and the IPL making it one to watch out for.
Rinku Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohsin Khan, Sameer Rizvi, Prashant Veer and Swastik Chikara, among others, are part of the recently started season of the league. Speaking exclusively to IANS, Kapoor emphasised that the league is doing “equivalent” to what the IPL does.
“It’s immaculate (the platform). You can say this platform is equivalent to the IPL (in terms of what it is doing). We are doing what is in the IPL. We broadcast on Jio, on Star Sports,” Kapoor told IANS.
The Governing Council Chairman further detailed that the league has already crossed the viewership of the past season and that it will only grow.
“We have 55 million (views) now right after eight league matches. So this year, in video coverage, views, Instagram, we are all in all the places on the positive side. Leaving interactivity aside, we will be No.1 in the country after IPL in positive cricket (in five years),” Kapoor added.
The league also provides the opportunity for budding cricketers to rub shoulders or share the dressing room with experienced cricketers like Rinku and Bhuvi. Kapoor highlighted that playing alongside such cricketers remains the dream of many of the players.
“When you share your dressing room with stalwarts, then your dreams come true in a way. You are sitting with them, talking to them, seeing their body language. When you follow them, see them, learn from them, you take their positives; you get to learn a lot.
“When you learn, you become a big player. And a platform like UPT20 League is being broadcast in 150 countries,” he added.
The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has launched a ‘speed hunt’ initiative to identify, track and bring fast bowlers to the UPT20 League. The organisers audition budding speedsters to show their potential from across the state in a bid to pick them for the league. A prime example of this was Noida Kings picking young fast bowler Shubham Gautam from the speed hunt for a handsome amount of Rs 21.5 lakh.
Kapoor also emphasised the “beauty” of this initiative. “The beauty of this (initiative) is that we audition young fast bowlers for our league. We bring them to the auction, and they end up earning a heavy amount of money. From 2 lakhs, they can get up to Rs 21.5 lakh (Shubham Gautam). The beauty of this is that it allows us to pick talented youngsters from around the state. That was the vision of Rajiv Shukla ji,” he further stated.
–IANS
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