Batting for tennis ball cricket, Ravi Shastri launches Indian Street Premier League

Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri believes that the street-smartness that a player earns from playing street or galli cricket helps him a lot. The right-handed batter, who is a veteran of 80 Tests, recalled that the shots he played against legendary Shane Warne en route to his 200, were all because of street cricket.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Stressing that there is outstanding talent in tennis ball cricket, former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri on Monday launched the Indian Street Premier League at a gala ceremony here.

The ISPL is touted as the country's first-ever T-10 tennis ball cricket tournament that will be held inside the stadiums. The first edition will get underway from March 2-9, 2024 and will feature 19 matches.

The league will feature six teams, each owned by franchises representative Mumbai (Maharashtra), Kolkata (West Bengal), Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Hyderabad (Telangana) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu).

Shastri, who has 150 ODIs termed the initiative as a fantastic one. "I have grown up playing cricket on the streets of Mumbai. The street smartness that you learn helps you a lot. (The) amount of talent in tennis ball cricket is outstanding. That talent has to be nursed. A lot of bowlers have come via tennis ball cricket," quipped Shastri, a right-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler.

Shastri said that the players can make a career by playing tennis ball cricket. "At least they (players) will get good jobs and financially they will be much more secure and that is the opportunity these tennis ball players should get because it is popular all across the country," added Shastri, who is the Chief Mentor of the ISPL.

According to Shastri, the biggest success of the league will be when the players play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League or for the national team. Shastri said the way current India players Yashsvi Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh played against Australia in the second T20 at Trivandrum, the credit should be given to street cricket. BCCI Treasurer Ashish Shelar, who is also the Core Committee Member of the Indian Street Premier League, said that the League was a professional platform for tennis players.

Speaking after the launch of the league at a gala function at the iconic Wankhede Stadium premises, Shelar, also the Mumbai BJP chief and BJP MLA, told reporters that the country's youth will get an opportunity to play in the stadium.

"It will be an opportunity for a player to showcase their talent, to increase his bank balance and crave a name for himself at the national level, this is the only intention of Indian Street Premier League," added Shelar, who is also the member of IPL Governing Council. Shastri, Shelar along with Mumbai Cricket Association President Amol Kale launched the website and player registration for the ISPL. It was also announced on the occasion that Suraj Samant will be the ISPL Commissioner.