Eighth edition of KPL set to commence on August 16
KPL Twitter
The eighth edition of Karnataka's T20-based franchise league, the Karnataka Premier League 2019, is all set to commence from August 16 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The local team Bengaluru Blasters will take on Mysuru Warriors in the opening match of the tournament.
This season of KPL will continue to follow the template of the last seven editions. The Bijapur Bulls will look to defend their title against the Blasters, Warriors, Ballari Tuskers, Belagavi Panthers, Hubli Tigers, and Shivamogga Lions.
Since its inception in 2009, the KPL has unearthed quite a few good cricketing talents – some of whom have gone on to earn a spot in the senior state team RCB, in the IPL.
The player auctions saw a particularly fierce bidding war between all seven teams this year. Seasoned all-rounder Pavan Deshpande (Shivamogga Lions) earned the highest pay as he pocketed a contract of Rs 7.3 lakh while the Mysuru Warriors signed Aniruddha Joshi for Rs. 7.1 lakh. This was also the first time that teams had the opportunity to use a ‘Right to Match’ card to re-sign one of the players.
The upcoming season will be contested in two cities, Bengaluru and Mysuru. Hubli misses out due to bad weather conditions. The matches will be played in two legs, from 16 to 23 and from 25 onwards, following a rest day on 23.
As per franchise demands, the tournament will also see an IPL-like knockout format at the business end of the tournament. All the matches will be telecast on Star Sports Network, with live streaming available via Hotstar as well.
