Kerala Cricket League Kicks Off Third Season with Exciting Matches
KCL Season 3 Launches at Greenfield Stadium
The much-anticipated third season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) is set to commence on Thursday at the Greenfield International Cricket Stadium. This year, six teams will compete for the championship in the T20 format.
The inaugural match will feature the Calicut Globstars facing off against the Thrissur Titans, followed by the defending champions, Kochi Blue Tigers, taking on Aries Kollam Sailors in the second match.
The tournament will run until September 5, with Trivandrum Royals and Alleppey Ripples rounding out the six-team lineup.
An exciting opening ceremony filled with cultural performances and entertainment is scheduled to take place at the venue starting at 6 PM.
Additionally, a fan village has been established near Gate 5 of the Greenfield Stadium, offering free entry to spectators. This fan zone will include a 360-degree photo booth, digital caricature stations, carnival games, merchandise stalls, food vendors, and festive decorations.
Highlights from the Player Auction
As the teams prepare for the new season, they come off an eventful player auction held in July. Notably, Alleppey Ripples secured Sibin Girish for Rs 11.80 lakh, making him the highest-priced player in the auction.
Sibin, initially categorized in Category C with a base price of Rs 75,000, drew significant interest due to his impressive performances in the last KCL season and the recent NSK Trophy. Alleppey Ripples ultimately outbid Calicut Globstars, Thrissur Titans, and Kochi Blue Tigers to acquire him.
The second-highest bid was for Krishnadev, retained by Calicut Globstars for Rs 11.20 lakh, while veteran batsman Sachin Baby joined Alleppey Ripples for Rs 10 lakh.
In total, 18 players were retained by the six franchises before the auction, with 89 players being acquired through the bidding process.
Among the Category A players, Trivandrum Royals signed Vishnu Vinod for Rs 7.80 lakh, Kollam Sailors secured Nidheesh MD for Rs 6.60 lakh, and Kochi Blue Tigers purchased Basil Thampi for Rs 5.40 lakh.
In the all-rounders' category, Calicut Globstars signed Abdul Basid for Rs 8 lakh, while Alleppey Ripples acquired Abhijith Praveen for Rs 6 lakh. Kollam Sailors also signed M. Ajnas for Rs 7 lakh and Anand Krishnan for Rs 5.20 lakh.
Franchise Budgets and League Expectations
Each franchise was allocated a salary purse of Rs 50 lakh. Trivandrum Royals, Alleppey Ripples, and Kochi Blue Tigers utilized their entire budget, while Kollam Sailors spent Rs 49.75 lakh, Calicut Globstars Rs 49.70 lakh, and Thrissur Titans Rs 49.35 lakh.
The defending champions, Kochi Blue Tigers, will kick off their title defense against Kollam Sailors, while the opening match between Calicut Globstars and Thrissur Titans will mark the start of the league's third edition.
With a combination of seasoned players and emerging talent from Kerala, the KCL aims to build on the successes of its previous seasons as it embarks on this new chapter.