Bengaluru, August 13: Her Highness Pramoda Devi Wadiyar and former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris on Monday (August 13) unveiled the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) trophy during a scintillating function at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The KPL 2018 will begin on August 15 with the final scheduled for September 6 at Mysuru. The KPL trophy launch function was attended by the KSCA administrators, cricketers, franchise owners, teams and team members.
Pramoda Devi Wadiyar said: "I am pleased to learn that the Karnataka State Cricket Association is conducting the 'Karnataka Premier League' in Mysore City this year as well. Karnataka is known for its strong cricketing tradition and is home to some of the finest cricketers the world has seen."
The trophy launch is done and we have only 2 more days left for the #BisiBisiCrickettu action to start. Gear up & get ready!@KarbonnSmart @LVBankLtd @StarSportsIndia #NammaKPL #KarbonnKPL #KPL2018
— Namma KPL (@KPLKSCA) August 13, 2018
Book on @PaytmTickets here: https://t.co/QMhTfLk1Zd pic.twitter.com/O93TVf84X7
Styris said: "This will be my first KPL and I am really looking forward to it. There is a thrill in travelling to different parts of India for such tournaments. When I toured with the New Zealand team we were restricted to major cities. Now, I am getting a chance to visit and see the smaller cities, thanks to tournaments like the KPL. From a cricket perspective, we all know the depth of talent Indian cricket has and it is tournaments such as the KPL that add to this depth. I am aware that a lot of cricketers have gone to play the IPL from the KPL."
Speaking at the event, Vinay Mruthyunjaya, MC member and the official spokesperson of KSCA said: "KPL has been a great platform for the players. The boys learn to play in front of big crowds and under franchise pressure at a very early stage of their career. The IPL teams have appreciated this and hence their scouts come to watch KPL matches and unearth boys from here. I'm sure they would find many more players in whom they'd be interested in this year."
Sanjay Desai, Honorary President KSCA said: "We are really thrilled to be hosting the KPL's seventh edition this year. The tournament is going to be held in three cities. KPL has grown to be a big domestic tournament and we want it to be the best tournament in India."
With Star Sports and Hotstar as the broadcast partners, the last season of KPL became the second largest viewed domestic cricket league in the country. The viewership went up from 26 million in 2016 to 59 million in 2017 and this year it will be broadcasted in Asia, Canada, USA and UK along with an option of Kannada commentary.
Liyan Khan of the @shivamoggalions is all pumped up.....Hurrrah! #KPL2018 starting on August 15th, book your tickets now! #BisiBisiCrickettu #KPL #KarbonnKPL #NammaKPL
— Namma KPL (@KPLKSCA) August 13, 2018
Book on Paytm here: https://t.co/QMhTfLBDnN
Book on Insider here: https://t.co/7AqPBXpDB0 pic.twitter.com/TFZ7wNnUMz
On social media, KPL created a sensation with Twitter receiving 3.15 million impressions and garnered a Facebook reach of 1,57,02,582, which is huge for a home-grown cricket league. The KPL reached a new high with a 222% hike in viewership last year.
This season's matches are scheduled to begin on the August 15 in Bengaluru, and from there the caravan will move to Hubbali on the August 19 and Mysuru on August 29.