The excitement is palpable as the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) kicks off its second season with a spectacular auction that saw intense bidding wars among six teams. Scheduled to take place at the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium in Mumbai from January 26 to February 15, 2025, this season promises to be bigger and better than ever!
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Indian Street Premier League or ISPL Season 2 Auction: A Thrilling Start to the Cricketing Spectacle!
A Mega Auction to Remember
The auction, held in Mumbai, featured 350 players selected from 55 cities through rigorous trials, all vying for a spot in the league. As the bidding heated up, a total of 96 players were successfully acquired by the six franchises, with Abhishek Kumar Dalhor emerging as the most expensive buy. The Majhi Mumbai team, owned by the legendary Amitabh Bachchan, secured him with a staggering bid of ₹20.50 lakh, a significant leap from his base price of ₹3 lakh.
Among the highlights was Sharik Yasir, the youngest player in the auction at just 15 years old, who was picked up by Srinagar Ke Veer, owned by Akshay Kumar, for ₹3 lakh. The competition was fierce as team owners aimed to assemble the perfect squad, resulting in a total expenditure of over ₹5.54 crore.
A New Era of Tennis-Ball Cricket
The ISPL, a pioneering tennis-ball T10 cricket tournament, brings the thrill of street cricket to a professional platform, showcasing the immense talent present in the country. This year’s auction introduced exciting new rules, including the Right-to-Match (RTM) and Icon Player provisions, allowing teams to retain two players from last season and add one iconic player to their roster.
Icon Players Make Their Mark
Several notable players were acquired as icon players, enhancing the teams’ competitive edge. Highlights include:
- Vijay Jaysing for ₹13.75 lakh (Majhi Mumbai)
- Krishna Satpute for ₹8.50 lakh (Falcon Risers Hyderabad)
- Deepak Dogra for ₹6 lakh (Chennai Singams)
- Saroj Paramanik for ₹16.25 lakh (KVN Bangalore Strikers)
- Dilip Binjwa for ₹6 lakh (Srinagar Ke Veer)
- Bhavesh Pawar for ₹8.50 lakh (Tiigers of Kolkata)
Voices from the League
Sachin Tendulkar, a core committee member of ISPL, expressed his enthusiasm: “It is encouraging to see the growing interest in ISPL from across the country. Tennis-ball cricket is an exciting format, and ISPL has provided a competitive platform for players to showcase their skills. I hope these players make the most of this chance and receive the recognition they deserve.”
Ashish Shelar, another core committee member, added, “The inaugural season was a huge success. With a perfect blend of sports and entertainment, ISPL was loved by fans not just inside the stadium but also on TV and OTT platforms. After the enormous success of Season 1, we are back with a much bigger second edition, receiving over 30 lakh registrations for this season.”
Suraj Samat, the League Commissioner, announced exciting plans for the future: “We want to spot and nurture talents from every corner of the country. We will conduct trials in 101 cities for the third season of ISPL. The introduction of the RTM rule allows teams to retain key players with loyal fan bases, and the squads look strong and balanced for a competitive season ahead.”
What to Expect in Season 2
ISPL Season 2 is set to be a grand spectacle for cricket fans! The thrilling matches will be broadcast on Star Sports Network and streamed on JioCinema, ensuring that fans can catch all the action live.
Team Squads
Here’s a quick look at the squads for the upcoming season:
- Tiigers of Kolkata: Bhavesh Pawar, Ravi Gupta, Firas Mohammed, and more.
- Majhi Mumbai: Deepak Limboo, Kabir Singh, Abhishek Dalhor, and more.
- KVN Bangalore Strikers: Akash Gautam, Saroj Paramanik, Irfan Patel, and more.
- Falcon Risers Hyderabad: Krishna Satpute, Vishwajit Thakur, Varun Kumar, and more.
- Chennai Singams: Deepak Dogra, Sumeet Dhekale, Siyyadri Siyyadri, and more.
- Srinagar Ke Veer: Dilip Binjwa, Akash Tarekar, Sai Shelar, and more.
