Indian Street Premier League: Breaking socioeconomic barriers with tennis ball cricket

(L to R) Suriya, Ashish Shelar, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Amol Kale and Suraj Samat. Image: Avinash Gowarikar
 
A talent hunt in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, in 2021 sowed the seeds of a private tennis ball cricket league among some eminent stakeholders of the game. Enthused by the talent on display—some of whom were eventually given an opportunity to play club cricket in Mumbai—Amol Kale, president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), conceptualised a plan to take these cricketers from the street to the stadium. The result is the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), a 10-over tennis ball tournament, that starts on Wednesday.
 

“The idea for the league came about when we took the Dharavi boys into the mainstream. We decided to have a professional format for tennis ball cricket so that these players get an opportunity to play in stadiums as well as earn something out of it. The idea is to change the socioeconomic structure of cricket,” says Kale.
 
A first-of-its-kind initiative, the ISPL has six teams—Majhi Mumbai, Bangalore Strikers, Srinagar Ke Veer, Chennai Singhams, Falcon Risers Hyderabad and Tiigers of Kolkata. Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) treasurer Ashish Shelar are core committee members along with Kale, while Ravi Shastri, member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, ex-India captain and coach, and now broadcaster, is mentor.


 
Adding the glam quotient to the ISPL are actors Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ram Charan, Hrithik Roshan, Suriya, and Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who are co-owners of their respective teams.
 
ISPL Commissioner Suraj Samat, the brainchild behind the Dharavi talent hunt, says he’s only putting Kale’s vision into play. “There was a lot of fire in those children. But we realised there’s no opportunity for them if they do not cross the barrier and reach the mainstream. Amol Kale then decided that we should do something for their upliftment and find talent from the grassroots,” says Samat, who is apex council member of the MCA.


 
Kale first discussed his plan with Shelar and Tendulkar, who were both excited and came together to turn the idea into reality. “There is immense talent out there… cricketers who have the aspiration to make it big and play for the country. However, not everyone is lucky enough to get the right guidance and platform to realise their dreams. These players have been enjoying and displaying their cricketing skills on the streets. We thought why can’t we build an ecosystem, help them hone their skills and get them to earn more,” says Shelar, who played tennis ball cricket for his school, college and for his bar when he was practising law. “We want them to get recognition, fame and money.”
 
The ‘invitation to bid’ that had a base price of Rs10 lakh saw Rs1,165 crore being bid for the six ISPL teams. “We liked the concept of street to stadium, and went ahead with it. It’s a good way of promoting players, and giving them a platform to earn name and fame,” says Neeti Agrawal, director, PATH India Ltd, and co-owner of Majhi Mumbai. “We are committed to the ISPL for 10 years and want to be associated with it all our life,” she continues, adding that they are one of the sponsors of the Indore Marathon, and cricket and tennis tournaments in Madhya Pradesh.

Aksha Kamboj, chairman, Aspect Global, who is co-owner of Tiigers of Kolkata, concurs. “It’s an exciting concept and I jumped at the chance to be associated with it. The overall objective is talent development… I am manifesting that, two to three years down the line, some of these guys will be massive heroes,” she says. “It’s kind of giving back… and it gives that satisfaction that you are doing something for someone—providing a platform for those at the grassroots to showcase their talent.”
 
The player response to the registrations was also encouraging. Kale claims 20 lakh aspirants logged in on the day of registration, and there were over 18 lakh registrations from across the country for 96 player slots. Former India cricketers Pravin Amre and Jatin Paranjpe are selectors for the ISPL. “Each player who registered got a bat… the idea is to create a cult,” explains Samat, who is also committee member of the District Sports Club, BKC.

Also read: IPL built a talent pipeline for Indian cricket, we hope SA20 does the same for South Africa: Graeme Smith & AB de Villiers
 
Sony Pictures Networks has bagged exclusive rights for the inaugural season of the 18-match tournament that will be played at the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium in Thane, Mumbai, with the final scheduled for March 15. BookMyShow is the ticketing partner.
 
It’s difficult for a private sporting league to make money in the initial years, but Kale emphasises that they are not thinking on those lines. “Profit is not the motive… the motive is different, and more or less we have succeeded in that aspect. More than the financial model, the aim is to give maximum people an opportunity to play in stadiums,” says Kale, who is also founder and CEO of JK Solutions Pvt Ltd, a diversified business group. 


 
Tendulkar, who was known to cart bowlers in the Sahitya Sahwas compound—his residence in Bandra—while playing tennis ball cricket as a young boy, has formulated the rules and regulations for the league. “Some of them will surprise you… Sachin has worked hard on them,” says Shelar, who is president of the Mumbai BJP. Kale reveals that the Master Blaster was thrilled when he spoke about the ISPL with the Bharat Ratna. “He was more or less thinking that someone should start something to do with tennis ball cricket. He was more than happy to join the league,” says Kale. Tendulkar’s coach, the late Ramakant Achrekar, in fact, was known as the Don Bradman of tennis ball cricket. Such was his prowess and reputation that he would be invited by several teams to represent them in tennis ball tournaments.
 
Kale also took the lead in approaching the actors, and says he didn’t have to meet any celebrity twice to convince them to be a part of the ISPL. These were all first-choice names and they were drawn in by the purpose of the league. He admits he went to the six stars because the ISPL does need some star power. “They are the face of the league, they are giving their time which is as good as investment,” says the MCA president, adding, “They are co-owners and have sweat equity as per their arrangements with the teams. The league will also be paying them some structured fees as agreed.”


 
Shelar says all the actors are aligned with the league’s vision and look forward to helping some budding cricketers. “We are thankful that they could commit professionally as well as look at it with a social angle—of wanting to do something for the players.”
 
Both Kamboj and Agrawal, too, concede that the involvement of celebrities attracts a lot of attention, and brings a new level of excitement and glamour to the sport.


 
Cricket and entertainment are two of the country’s biggest passions, and the league aims to capitalise on both. Samat says there will be concerts every day during the league, and that they have roped in artistes such as rapper MC Stan and singer Yo Yo Honey Singh, among others, for the same. In fact, prior to the first match, there is an exhibition match between teams led by Tendulkar and Kumar that will feature ex-cricketers and members from the entertainment industry.
 
While this is the debut season, there are ambitious plans for ISPL in the years ahead. Expanding the league is a given, and they may even add more teams in subsequent years, says Kale. A Middle East version is also expected to be announced during the tournament.