Published By: Admin

DPL to Go Live in August: An Overview of Other Famous State-Level T20 Leagues in India

The first season will feature 40 matches, including 33 men's and seven women's

The inaugural edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) will begin in August, announced the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). This new T20 league will feature both men's and women's matches and all of them will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. The franchise auction took place on Sunday where six men's teams were sold for a total of Rs 49.65 crore. The top bidders also secured the corresponding women's teams.  

The first season will feature 40 matches, including 33 men's and seven women's. Further details on teams, fixtures, and broadcasts will be unveiled soon. On the occasion, Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), said, "I am delighted to announce the Delhi Premier League Season 1 with a vision to provide equal opportunity for both male and female cricketers."

As Delhi gears up for its own T20 league, let us look at some of the the well-known regional T20 leagues in India.

Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 

Replacing the Karnataka Premier League, which began in 2009, the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 started in 2022. Organised by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), this entertaining T20 league has the participation of the six teams from Bengaluru, Mysore, Hubli, Shivamogga, Raichur and Mangalore. The league is dedicated to the memory of the late H. R. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the former president of KSCA and Maharaja of Mysore. Fans can watch top Indian talents such as Devdutt Padikkal, Shreyas Gopal, K Gowtham, and Manish Pandey in the tournament which is likely to begin in September. 

Tamil Nadu Premier League 

TNPL is a men’s T20 league that takes place every year between June and August. It involves eight teams that represent eight cities of the southern state. With an association with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), this league started in 2016 following the suspension of Chennai Super Kings IPL team. The first season was inaugurated by the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, in 2016 and the crowned champion is the Lyca Kovai Kings. Washington Sundar, Baba Aparajit, Varun Chakravarthy, and Shahrukh Khan are key players who made a mark in the tournament. 

Bengal Pro T20 League

The Bengal Pro T20 League was started by CAB in 2024. It is a franchise-based T20 league with men's and women's teams in eight West Bengal cities. The men's matches are played at the famous Eden Gardens, and the women's matches are held at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground. Sports18 TV of Viacom18 broadcasts the league, and JioCinema made the women's series and some of the men's series matches available for free streaming. A few notable names from the leagues are Abhishek Poral, Manoj Tiwary, Deepti Sharma, and Richa Ghosh. 

Andhra Pradesh League 

Andhra Premier League, developed by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) in June 2022, is a colourful T20 cricket carnival in Andhra Pradesh. With six city-based teams–Bezwada Tigers, Coastal Riders, Godavari Titans, Rayalaseema Kings, Uttarandhra Lions, and Vizag Warriors, this league is expected to replace the absence of the big name of cricket the new talents in Andhra Pradesh. It operates during the school summer holidays, and the four top teams go to the semi-finals and then to the finals. 

There are also other regional teams, such as Baroda T20 Challenge, Bihar Cricket League, Chhattisgarh Cricket, Premier League, KCA President's Cup T20, Madhya Pradesh League, Maharashtra Premier League, Odisha Premier League, Saurashtra Premier League, T20 Mumbai League, UP T20 League, Rajasthan Premier League and Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup.