New T10 League announced in India for street players, Bollywood celebrities purchase 6 teams

Famous actor Saif Ali Khan, whose father and grandfather played for India, owns the West Bengal team.

New T10 League announced in India for street players, Bollywood celebrities purchase 6 teams

Indian Street Cricket League (Image via ISPL)

A new franchise cricket league has been announced in India, but it will not feature any professional players. The Indian Street Premier League is a T10 tournament with 6 teams, which will include amateur players all across India. All the matches will be played with tennis balls. There are tryouts in 17 cities and Ravi Shastri joined in as a core mentor.

The 6 teams are owned by celebrities Sonu Sood, Hritik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Ram Charan, Suriya, Amitabh Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan and his wife, Kareena Kapoor Khan. Kapoor Khan uploaded a post announcing them owning a club, adding that cricket ran in the family. 

Saif Ali Khan’s father and grandfather, both used to be professional cricketers. His father, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was made Indian captain at the age of just 21. He played 46 Tests for India before retiring at the age of 34. He was often called the ‘Tiger Pataudi.’ Tiger Pataudi played the majority of his career with a visual impairment, often covering his eye while batting.

Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan of Pataudi, Tiger’s father and Saif’s grandfather, was the first cricketer to play Tests for India and England. He made his debut for England in the 1932-33 Ashes. He was dropped the very next series but returned in 1934. In 1946, he was made the Indian Test captain and played 3 matches. 

List of teams and owners:

MumbaiAmitabh Bachchan
West BengalSaif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan
ChennaiSuriya
SrinagarAkshay Kumar
Bangalore Hritik Roshan
HyderabadRam Charan

This is not the first time cricket and the Indian film industry has collided 

Cricket and movies are the two biggest means of entertainment for India. It hasn’t been surprising when the two worlds have collided. One of the biggest ways the two industries have been involved is through the IPL, where celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta own teams. 

Shah Rukh Khan with Virat Kohli during the 2023 IPL (Image via Hindustan Times)

In the past, footballers and cricketers used to participate in charity football matches. There was also the Celebrity Cricket League, where celebrities used to participate in a T20 league. Many iconic movies have also been made on the sport, like Lagaan, Iqbal, Jersey and the biopic of MS Dhoni, “MS Dhoni: The untold story.” 

In case you Missed: