Now Punjab Premier League is coming in October

Thu, Aug 26 10 07:07 PM

Chandigarh, Aug 26 (PTI) An IPL like Punjab Premier League (PPL) will be held in October and the auction for the eight city-based franchises will take place early next month in Ludhiana, according to the organisers. A Punjab-based event management company is floating the Twenty20 league from October 24 to 31. However, the PPL has not so far not got recognition from either the BCCI or the Punjab Cricket Association. PPL Director Kawaljit Singh Bagga said the event would see participation from eight major cities -- Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Bathinda, Patiala and Mohali and one team will represent the NRIs. "We are in the process of selecting the players from 14-30 years of age," said Bagga here, whose A&A Events Worldwide, an event management company, is organising the tournament. "We are meeting the PCA officials tomorrow evening and hope that our tournament will get authorisation from them," he said. He said the main aim of holding the tournament, which would be made an annual event, is to give opportunities to the budding talent, especially from the rural hinterland. "Our other motto for holding the league is say no to drugs and yes to cricket. Unfortunately, a number of youth in Punjab are into drugs and we want to give our youth an exposure, an opportunity to show their talent," he said. Bagga said the tournament will have a prize money of Rs 5 lakh and the runners up will get Rs 3 lakh. He said that the league would pay for all the expenses of players during the tournament. Like the IPL, all the teams would be auctioned to the business houses and industrialists, Bagga said. For the teams'' auctions in Ludhiana, the company would soon fix a bidding price, he said. "Like the IPL, the PPL will have top singers and cheer leaders making the event more exciting," he said, adding the opening match will be held in Ludhiana and people will have to buy tickets to watch the matches.

Source: Published>