Punjab cricket association

With a view to tapping cricketing talent from across Punjab and bringing it under the spotlight, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) recently concluded its own T20 league -- Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cup -- which witnessed participation by six teams, and is all set to grow bigger. Conceived by the PCA secretary (honourary) Dilsher Khanna, the maiden event attracted sponsorships from major industrial houses including Trident and JK Cement among others to the tune of Rs 9 crore.

“The entire exercise was conducted to bring to the forefront the immense talent hidden in the remotest part of the state. For 17 days, a total of 33 matches were played which were aired on a major television channel live streamed too. The matches were attended by top players, IPL scouts, and coaches -- thus giving the young players the much-needed exposure,” says the 32-year-old secretary.

While the cup was planned and executed in a matter of months, Khanna says the same would not have been possible without the support of Jay Shah, Secretary BCCI, and cricketer Harbhajan Singh. “Shah has always gone out of his way for the betterment of the game in Punjab and Singh’s suggestions have been invaluable,” he adds.