The much-anticipated Vidarbha Pro T20 League (VPTL) moved one step closer to reality as the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) officially unveiled six men’s and three women’s franchise teams during a launch event held at the VCA Recreation Club, Jamtha, on Saturday evening.
The inaugural edition of the league is scheduled to take place from June 5 to 15, 2025, at the state-of-the-art VCA Stadium in Jamtha. The event was attended by franchise owners, VCA officials, and several top players who will captain the respective teams.
Among the notable names announced as team captains are India T20 international and IPL regular Jitesh Sharma, along with fellow IPL players Atharva Taide, Darshan Nalkande, and prominent Vidarbha cricketers Akshay Wadkar, Mandar Mahale, and Yash Kadam.
Teams Announced
The six men’s teams participating in the VPTL are:
- Neco Master Blaster (owned by Neco Group)
- Orange Tigers (Abhijit Realtors & Infraventures Pvt Ltd)
- Nagpur Titans (Sanvijay Group)
- Bharat Rangers (Rohit Iron & Steel India Pvt Ltd)
- Nagpur Heroz (Lily Infraventure)
- Pagariya Strikers (Pagariya Group)
The women’s tournament will run alongside the men’s competition, with three franchises also fielding women’s teams:
- Neco Master Blaster Women
- Orange Tigresses
- Nagpur Titans Women
Selection and Team Allocation
In a unique approach for the first edition, no players’ auction was held. Instead, the VCA Senior Selection Committee pre-selected balanced 16-member squads for each team to ensure a competitive playing field.
The franchises were assigned teams through a draw of lots. First, lots determined the order in which franchises would pick squads. Then, each franchise selected a ‘bail’ marked with a team code (A–F), which corresponded to a specific squad list prepared by the selectors.
Live Broadcast and Streaming
The matches of the inaugural VPTL will be broadcast live on a major national sports channel and streamed via a leading OTT platform, making the tournament accessible to cricket fans across the country.
Vision Behind the League
“This league was a long-standing dream of our former president, Adv. Adwait Manohar,” said Prashant Vaidya, Chairman of the VPTL Governing Council. “Today, we are on the verge of turning that dream into reality. With everyone’s support, we aim to make this first edition a landmark event in Vidarbha cricket.”
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