Kerala Cricket League launched by KCA as Sanju Samson unveils logo for KCL

The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has announced the creation of its very own T20 league, the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). Kerala star and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson unveiled the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) logo at the Hyatt Regency in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, August 9.

Drawing inspiration from successful state leagues in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi, Pondicherry, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Bengal, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) announced the launch of KCL as a game-changer for the state.

KCA announces Kerala Cricket League (KCL) with iconic launch by Mohanlal

The player auction will be held on August 10, and it will be streamed live on Star Sports 3 and available on the OTT platform FanCode. KCL will feature six teams and is scheduled to run from September 2 to September 19 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

The two matches will be held every day, including both day and night games in the newly launched tournament. Also, the official launch of the KCL will be graced by Malayalam film icon and KCL brand ambassador Mohanlal on August 31 at the Hyatt Regency in Thiruvananthapuram.

As reported by IANS, the KCA said in an official statement: “Fans can look forward to two thrilling games each day, including day and night matches. The league will officially be launched by the legendary actor and KCL brand ambassador, Mohanlal, on 31st August 2024, at noon at the Hyatt Regency.”

Sanju Samson hopes KCL boosts Kerala’s presence in the IPL

Meanwhile, Sanju Samson, who is one of the icons of the KCL, has expressed his excitement about the league's potential to lift Kerala's image on the big stage. The Indian wicketkeeper highlighted the importance of KCL in bolstering Kerala’s representation in major tournaments like the IPL.

Currently, Kerala’s around seven to eight players are participating in the IPL, and Samson is optimistic about seeing more players in the world’s biggest T20 league in the future.

Samson said at the event: “This platform is a crucial step towards achieving our goal of increasing Kerala’s representation in major tournaments like the IPL. Currently, we have seven-eight players in the IPL, and I hope to see 5-10 more in the future.”

On the other hand, a total of 168 cricketers have been shortlisted for the upcoming player auction, with each team set to sign 20 players.

The KCL player auction will be designed into three categories:

Category A: Players with experience in the IPL or Ranji Trophy, with a base salary set at INR 2 lakh.

Category B: Players from the CK Naidu, U-23, U-19 State, and U-19 Challengers levels, with a base salary of INR 1 lakh.

Category C: U-16 state players, university players, and club cricketers, with a base salary of INR 50,000.

KCA has also confirmed the icon players for the first edition of the KCL, and they are P.A. Abdul Basit with the Trivandrum Royals, Sachin Baby with the Kollam Sailors, Mohammad Azharuddin with the Alleppey Ripples, Basil Thampi with the Kochi Blue Tigers, Vishnu Vinod with the Thrissur Titans, and Rohan S. Kunnammal with the Calicut Globestars.

Well, Samson's absence as an icon player sparked speculation about his participation in Kerala’s T20 league as it overlaps with the Duleep Trophy, which is set to begin on September 5 in Anantapur.