The T20 Mumbai League is making a comeback after taking a break for six years, and the Mumbai Cricket Association has brought on board Rohit Sharma, the captain of India’s Test and ODI teams, as the league’s ambassador. It looks like fans can also expect to see some big names like Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer joining in the fun this season.
There’s a press announcement scheduled for Friday, April 18, right in Mumbai, and Rohit is likely to be there to kick things off. This new season will feature a total of eight teams, with two fresh teams to be revealed soon. Each of these teams will probably have some big-name players, known as ‘icon players’. Players like Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Tushar Deshpande, and Prithvi Shaw might just fit that bill, and word is that the MCA is looking at paying these icon players around Rs 15 lakh each for their involvement in the tournament.
While the MCA isn’t making it a must for these players to participate, they are really hoping that they’ll take part in the T20 Mumbai League. An MCA official shared with PTI that having these star players on board would definitely be a boost for Mumbai cricket, as well as a benefit for both the players and the league itself.
The league initially kicked off back in 2018 and ran its second season in 2019, but then everything was put on pause due to COVID-19. Many other leagues got back to action as the situation improved, but the Mumbai tournament took longer to come back than was anticipated. Looking ahead a bit, the 2025 edition of the league will start only after the current IPL season wraps up. Excitingly, the MCA has already received over 2,800 entries for the upcoming 2025 season! Right now, we have six teams: North Mumbai Panthers, ARCS Andheri, Triumph Knights Mumbai North East, Namo Bandra Blasters, Eagle Thane Strikers, and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs.
On another note, Smriti Mandhana has been named the icon player for the Ratnagiri Jets in the newly launched Women’s Maharashtra Premier League. The league was supposed to kick off last June but got postponed because of the South Africa Women’s tour of India. They just couldn’t align the dates afterward. Interestingly, Ratnagiri Jets clinched the championship in the men’s version of the Maharashtra Premier League for two consecutive years.
In a statement, Mandhana expressed her excitement about this new opportunity, saying, “The franchise has shown success in the MPL and has a clear vision for the women’s game. I’m thrilled to help shape this new chapter and can’t wait to team up with my new teammates.” It’s clear that there’s a lot of enthusiasm building for both leagues, and it seems like this is just the beginning of a great summer of cricket in Mumbai!
