MP League player draft introduces women's teams, squads announced
Indore: The eagerly awaited player draft for the
Madhya Pradesh League
(MPL) took place on Sunday evening in Indore, with franchises selecting their players for the upcoming season. This event marked a historic milestone as the MPL expanded to include three women's teams, alongside its regular men's teams, for the first time.
Venkatesh Iyer, the vice-captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and a star from Indore, was chosen as the icon player for
Indore Pink Panthers
. Gwalior Cheetahs made a strong selection by picking
Rajat Patidar
, RCB captain in IPL, as their icon player. These selections were among the highlights of the draft, with both men's and women's teams offering a competitive roster for the upcoming season. While addressing the franchises and players at the player draft, Mahanaaryaman Scindia, MPL chairman, said, "When we started the men's league last year, many women cricketers approached us about participation. I'm thrilled to introduce these three women's teams—Bhopal Wolves, Bundelkhand Bulls, and Chambal Ghariyals. We aim to make a significant impact on women's cricket, and this is an opportunity to produce the next global stars from Madhya Pradesh."
Key selections from the draft include several high-profile men's players, such as Venkatesh Iyer (Indore Pink Panthers), Rajat Patidar (Gwalior Cheetahs), Arshad Khan (Bhopal Leopards), Harpreet Singh Bhatia (Chambal Ghariyals), Saransh Jain (Jabalpur Royal Lions), Avesh Khan (Bundelkhand Bulls), and Kumar Kartikeya (Rewa Jaguars). In the women's teams, Icon Players like Aayushi Sharma, Anushka Sharma, and Soumya Tiwari are among the top picks.
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