Karnataka Premier League is drawing big money. What’s the game?

You know something’s up when you see a gathering of netas, film stars, real estate barons and even a reformed underworld don. What’s up in Bangalore is interest in T20 cricket, and this motley crew had gathered for a no-holds-barred auction to grab a team for the upcoming Karnataka Premier League (KPL), an Indian Premier League (IPL) clone dreamt up by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

The eight winners walked away with five-year team franchises after paying a whopping Rs 35 crore. The top three teams were bought by realtors that spent nearly Rs 17 crore among themselves. The Bangalore Urban team was bought for Rs 7.2 crore by Brigade Developers; the Bangalore Rural franchise was bagged by Melmont Constructions, a Puravankara group company, for Rs 5.5 crore; and the Mangalore team was snapped up by coastal builder Fizza Developers for a little over Rs 4.2 crore.

Then, there is Mantri Developers throwing in Rs 7.7 crore to play main sponsor. The live telecast rights have been sold to a regional channel owned by the Sun TV Group.

According to Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, a scion of the Mysore royal family who now heads the KSCA, “We are thrilled that we are the first in the country to start such a tournament.” Brijesh Patel, KSCA’s honorary secretary, is also thrilled to bits with the mega deals. “We had held a T20 tourney much before the BCCI fell for the idea,” he says.

All this, despite stiff opposition from former Test captain Anil Kumble and ‘Mysore Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Anil Kumble, Bangalore, BCCI, Blogs.CMDN.com, CH Ambarish, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, IPL, Javagal Srinath, Kannada, Karnataka Premier League, KPL, KSCA, Mangalore team, Mantri Developers, Melmont, Puravankara group, Sun TV Group, T20

Javagal Srinath, India’s second most successful pace bowler, has joined another legend Anil Kumble, in criticising the Karnataka State Cricket Association for “rushing” to promote T20 cricket, while ignoring KSCA’s own proposed cricket academy, which would have nurtured young talent.

The Karnataka Cricket Academy (KCA) recently acquired legends Gundappa Viswanath and Syed Kirmani as directors, but long after it was first conceived, it is yet to become operational.

Srinath, always a respected cricketing voice, is now an ICC match referee. The Mysorean has seldom been hesitant to call a spade a spade, though he has often steered cleared of making cutting remarks on a public platform.

While acknowledging that Twenty20 cricket has perhaps come to stay, he is more than a little perplexed by the Karnataka Premier League. “It’s a great format, helping the game reach newer audiences,” he admitted, then shed the initial reluctance and opened up.

“But you have to orient kids towards the longer version first, then introduce them to T20. Don’t make these kids out to be professional T20 players aged 17 and 18. Money at this early stage is very difficult to handle and has a different meaning.”

Echoing Kumble’s views on KPL, Srinath said, “It would have been prudent if the KSCA conducted the event on its own, and then went to sponsors with proper data points. If the Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Anil Kumble, Bangalore, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, ICC, Javagal Srinath, KCA, KPL, KSCA, T20 cricket