The Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), India’s pioneering tennis ball T10 cricket tournament to be played inside a stadium, gears up for its inaugural season, set to commence on Wednesday, at the Dadoji Kondadev Stadium in Mumbai.
To kick-start the cricketing extravaganza in style, a special ‘Exhibition Match’ will feature the legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s Master XI taking on Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi XI. The excitement does not end there, as the tournament opener between Srinagar Ke Veer and Majhi Mumbai is scheduled to follow at 7:30 PM, guaranteeing an exciting launch to the ISPL tournament.
The grand opening ceremony will feature a musical festival headlined by a live performance from ‘Gully Boy’ fame actor Siddhant Chaturvedi and Dharavi Rockers Band. Team owners including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Saif & Kareena Kapoor-Khan, Suriya Sivakumar, Hrithik Roshan, and Ram Charan will be present at the occasion with their presence. The ceremony will also showcase a drone show by Karishma Kotak, with the national anthem led by Amitabh Bachchan.
The ISPL will witness fierce competition among six formidable teams – Chennai Singams, Tiigers of Kolkata, Falcon Risers Hyderabad, Bangalore Strikers, and Srinagar Ke Veer – as they vie for the coveted ISPL Championship title. The tournament, spanning from March 6 to March 15, 2024, promises to revolutionize the traditional sport of cricket with its innovative T10 format, featuring 10 overs per inning and an exciting toss ritual called the ‘Tip-Top Toss’.
Each team will comprise 16 players, with a mandatory playing 11 that includes one player from each ISPL Zone (East, West, North, South, and Central), along with one player under 19 years of age.
Captains must designate a minimum of five bowlers who can be challenged during the 50-50 over. Intervals between innings, drinks breaks, strategic timeouts, and any other agreed intervals will be observed during matches.
In the event of a tie after both innings, a Super Over will be played, with subsequent Super Overs if necessary until a winner is determined. The match will commence with three overs of power play: the first two overs are designated as a mandatory bowling power play, during which only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle, followed by one over of batting power play, to be taken between overs three to nine, with a maximum of three fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. If the batting power play is not taken before the start of the ninth over, the 9th over will automatically become a mandatory Batting Power Play.
During non-power play overs, a maximum of five players are allowed outside the circle, with at least four fielders (excluding the keeper and bowler) required inside the inner circle. No restrictions apply to the offside, but a maximum of five fielders are allowed on the leg side, including a maximum of two behind the popping crease at the time of delivery.
Teams are allowed a maximum of two substitutes per game, with injured players eligible for replacement from the unsold player list within the same zone.
An exciting aspect of ISPL is the provision for 9-Street Runs, where if a ball hit by the batsman crosses the fence and goes directly into the audience, it counts as nine runs added to the team and the batsman’s personal score.
These rules aim to ensure fair play, and an exhilarating cricketing experience throughout the ISPL season. (ANI)
