Top News

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today inaugurated the franchise-based Sher-e-Punjab T-20 Cricket League for the first time. He said that this tournament will play an important role in providing opportunities to the budding cricketers of the state to showcase their talent and move ahead in the field of sports.

Six teams are participating in this inaugural edition being organized by the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) and the tournament will be held till September 13. Will be played at Cricket Stadium, Mohali.

Players will get a bigger platform

Interacting with the players and organizers, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this league will provide an opportunity to the talented cricketers of Punjab to compete on the big stage and play with and learn from the established players.

He said, "Sher-e-Punjab T-20 League is being organized with the aim of promoting cricket in Punjab and providing more opportunities to talented cricketers to progress in the game. This league is organized by Punjab Cricket Association as IPL. Is being organized on the lines of."

First match between Amritsar Surma and Mohali Kings

In the inaugural ceremony held today, the first match of the tournament was played between Amritsar Surma and Mohali Kings. This league will run for two weeks, the final match of which will be held on September 13. All matches will be played at PCA Mohali. Cricket is being played in the stadium.

Punjab is emerging as the powerhouse of Indian cricket

Referring to Punjab's invaluable contribution to Indian cricket, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the state has consistently produced talented players who have represented the country at the highest level. He said, “Today it is a matter of great pride for Punjab that the captains of the Indian men's and women's cricket teams, Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Kaur respectively, are from Punjab. Currently, 21 players from Punjab are playing in the IPL.”

He said that at present there are four players from Punjab in the Indian men's cricket team, which includes captain Shubhman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar.

Punjab's glorious cricket heritage

Referring to the state's rich cricket heritage, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that Punjab has given the country great cricketers like Lala Amarnath, Bishan Singh Bedi, Mahendra Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. He said that Sher-e-Punjab T20 League will further strengthen this glorious legacy by creating a dedicated platform for the next generation of cricketers.

Positive direction to youth through sports

The Chief Minister said that no stone is being left unturned by the State Government to promote sports and develop better sports infrastructure across Punjab. He said, "Sports are the most effective weapon in the war against drugs. For this reason, the state government is laying special emphasis on sports and providing opportunities to the youth to channelize their energy in a positive direction."

He said that with the aim of promoting sports at the grassroots level and motivating the youth to participate in sports activities, 3,100 sports grounds are being built across the state.

The biggest budget ever for sports

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the Punjab Government has kept the biggest ever budget for sports in the state, which is helping in providing better facilities and opportunities to the players. He said that its results are already visible as the players of Punjab are bringing glory to the state in various sports.

'Khedaan Watan Punjab Diyaan' will start from Bathinda on 5th September.

The Chief Minister further said that our government will inaugurate the biggest sports extravaganza 'Khedaan Watan Punjab Diyaan' from Bathinda on 5th September. He said, "Three generations of players will participate in this sporting event, making it a unique celebration of the sporting spirit of Punjab."

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said the government's efforts are aimed at developing a strong sports culture across the state and ensuring that the youth of Punjab get suitable platforms and opportunities to achieve success in sports.

Lok Sabha member Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and other prominent personalities were also present on the occasion.

Six franchise teams, Punjab cricketers got command

Six franchise teams are participating in this inaugural edition, each of which is led by a leading cricketer from Punjab. Fazilka Falcons are captained by Shubhman Gill, Ludhiana Lions' Arshdeep Singh, Amritsar Surma's Abhishek Sharma, Jalandhar Warriors' Prabhsimran Singh, Mohali Kings' Ramandeep Singh and Bathinda Royals are captained by Gurnoor Brar.

119 players selected

Prominent cricketers of Punjab are also included in this league, which include Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Naman Dheer, Vihaan Malhotra, Imanjot Singh Chahal, Ashwani Kumar and Krish Bhagat. 119 players have been selected through the bidding to represent various franchise teams from a pool of over 450 players from Punjab.