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United News of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- United News of India
KCA aims to make KCL India's most popular domestic league
Thiruvananthapuram, July 15 (UNI) Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is all set to unveil a comprehensive five-year master plan aimed at transforming the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) into the most popular domestic twenty-twenty league in the country. This plan is designed to take over the Tamil Nadu Premier League in popularity and reach at the first position. The initiatives will focus not only on raising the standard of the game but also on drawing larger crowds to stadiums and gaining global attention through broadcast strategies. Indian cricketer Sanju Samson's return is expected to be the biggest attraction of KCL Season 2. KCA President Jayesh George remarked that Sanju's presence, after skipping the previous season, significantly increases the league's brand value and will help attract more viewers. Unlike the first season, this time major changes have been made in broadcasting rights to boost the league's promotion. All matches of the second season will be broadcast live on Asianet Plus. In addition, the games will be made available on major sports network Star Sports and the OTT platform FanCode. In the first season only the opening and final matches were broadcasted but now all matches will be broadcasted. The viewership of 3.4 million through Asianet Plus alone has given KCA strong confidence. KCA now plans to expand broadcast reach in the coming years to bring the league to an even wider audience. Plans are also underway to establish fan parks in every district and even outside Kerala, and to include entertainment events during matches. The KCA has stated that special tour packages will be introduced as part of cricket tourism to allow fans from other states to watch the matches live. The digital footprint will also be strengthened with an enhanced social media presence to engage fans online. Celebrities, national-level cricketers, and IPL franchise management officials will be invited as special guests to the matches, which KCA believes will increase the star appeal and media attention of the league. KCA also intends to give equal importance to women's cricket alongside the men's league. According to KCA Secretary Vinod S Kumar, a Women's KCL will be launched within one or two seasons. As a prelude, a special logo for the women's league will be released this season. Last season, three women worked as umpires during the matches. This was an important first step taken by KCA to show their support for women's involvement in cricket and to promote gender equality in the sport. To elevate KCL to a premier league, KCA is also considering increasing the number of teams, raising the team auction amount , and ensuring better remuneration for players. Currently, each franchise can spend up to Rs 50 lakh in the player auction, and steps are being taken to raise this limit. The appointment of superstar Mohanlal as the brand ambassador has also boosted the glamour and appeal of the league. Such measures are aimed at attracting even greater public attention. KCA also plans to invest the league's revenue in scouting and nurturing better talent by providing them with quality training facilities. Discussions are on to conduct similar leagues at the district level to identify young and emerging players. After Season 2, a detailed review will be conducted to finalize the implementation roadmap. With these initiatives, KCA firmly believes that KCL can be transformed into the most powerful and popular domestic cricket league in India within the next five years. UNI DS AAB ARN
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Promising youngsters get a raw deal at Kerala Cricket League auction
The player auction for the second season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) left many junior cricketers in the State disappointed and it raised serious questions about the aim of the fledgling league in promoting talent. Twenty-three players, who represented the State in Cooch Behar Trophy, Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy or Vijay Merchant Trophy, went unsold in the auction. The notable omission being Mohammed Enaan, the India under-19 player currently touring England. Manav Krishna, who was chosen as the Promising Player in the NSK Trophy T20 tournament, also went unsold. Abi Biju, S. Abhiram, Kamil Aboobacker, Kiran Sagar and Rohan Nair were among the players who found no buyers. Of the 49 players registered in Category B with base price of ₹1.5 lakh, only 16 were picked by the teams while 49 out of the 84 players in Category C with a base price of ₹75,000 were traded in the auction. The auction threw up surprises like 42-year-old K.J. Rakesh, who served as junior selector last season, getting picked while many promising youngsters were overlooked. 'The teams splurged money to buy Category A players and exhausted half of their purse. They then looked for cheaper players in Category C, sidestepping Category B players. The KCA made a mistake by not allowing unsold players in Category B to be traded along with Category C players at a reduced base price like it did with Category A players. Most of the coaches of the franchises teams were based abroad and weren't familiar with the local talent,'' said Biju George, former Indian women team's fielding coach and current talent scout of Kolkata Knight Riders. The KCA secretary Vinod S. Kumar admitted the mistake and said the association will make it mandatory for the team to pick a fixed number of Category B players from next season onwards. 'We didn't foresee such a scenario this season. The bidding for Category A players left the teams short of money and some barely managed to buy the minimum number of 16 players. For the next season we are thinking of making it mandatory for the teams to pick up a fixed number of players from Category B and even allowing Category B players to be sold along with Category C players at a reduced price. Those at the auction table should not be parochial. The teams also picked some players who either failed the yo-yo test or missed it. I must admit the bidding wasn't fair on some players. The KCL will have some initial flaws which we will rectify in due course of time,'' said Vinod.
Rhyl Journal
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Rhyl: Leading light in tennis & politics earns alumni award
Jonathon Dawes was recognised by King's College London (KCL) – and the wider British sporting community – for his pioneering contribution to tennis development and grassroots inclusion. The 22-year-old, already the youngest member of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Council, received a Distinguished Alumni Award from KCL, following in the footsteps of names such as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Olympian Dina Asher-Smith. Having completed his A -Levels at Coleg Cambria's Deeside Sixth Form Centre in 2021 – where he achieved A*s in government and politics, economics, PE and the Welsh Baccalaureate – Jonathon moved to London to read philosophy, politics and economics. Jonathon Dawes (Image: Submitted) He has since returned to the college on several occasions to share his journey and inspire learners. 'It was Coleg Cambria that encouraged me to apply to university when I was considering other options, and I'm so glad they did,' he said. 'They nurtured my passion for tennis and gave me the confidence to think big.' While at KCL, Jonathon spent two years on its tennis committee and served as president in his final year, setting out an 'inclusive-by-design' vision to ensure every student could enjoy university life through tennis, increasing membership by 65 per cent and securing a partnership with global brand, Wilson. After graduating first-class with honours, he continued to volunteer with KCL Tennis, spearheading a programme which included its first LGBTQ+ tennis festival. In total, his post-graduation efforts have engaged 350+ students and unlocked more than £2,500 in new funding, while charity events have raised almost £1,000 for good causes. Jonathon is currently completing an MA in research methods for political science at Durham University. He will begin a PhD in September within the Department of Sport and Exercise Science, investigating politics and under-served communities in tennis. 'King's College London is a world-leading university, so to be recognised at such a young age is a huge honour,' he said. 'But this is only the beginning – I'm committed to making tennis more accessible for everyone, in Wales, the UK and beyond.'
India Gazette
05-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Sanju Samson returns to Kerala Cricket with record-breaking KCL signing
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson made a record-breaking return to the Kerala cricket circuit following his omission from last season's Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), as he became the most expensive signing at the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction for a record Rs 26.60 lakhs, being picked up by Kochi Blue Tigers, reported ESPNCricinfo on Saturday. This will be Samson's first competitive appearance since the conclusion of a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, in which he scored 285 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of over 140, with a half-century to his name. His team finished at number nine, winning just four and losing 10 and failing to finish their games well. Samson missed a chunk of the season due to a side strain. The KCL will mark Samson's first appearance in the Kerala circuit since he was last omitted from the VHT squad for not attending a preparation camp leading up to it. While the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) stated that they wanted to set a precedent, Samson claimed to have written to the board asking for permission to miss the camp. Named as the brand ambassador of the league, Samson missed the first-ever season of KCL due to international commitments last year. He has solidified his spot in T20Is for India, smashing three centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa last year. In 42 T20Is, he has made 861 runs at an average of 25.32, with three centuries and two fifties and a best score of 111. Last year, in 13 T20Is and 12 innings at an average of 43.60, with a strike rate of 180.16, three centuries and a fifty. The inaugural edition of the league came into focus during the IPL this year as the teenage left-arm spinner Vignesh Puthur was signed by five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 30 lakhs after fine performances in trials. He was also taken to South Africa, where he was the net bowler for MI Cape Town in the SA20 season three. Signed for Rs 3.75 lakh during the first edition, Puthur's services were retained by Alleppey Ripples for the second edition. In his debut IPL, Puthur picked up six wickets in five matches for MI. (ANI)
Mint
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Sanju Samson returns to Kerala Cricket with record-breaking KCL signing
ANI Published 5 Jul 2025, 06:27 PM IST Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 5 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson made a record-breaking return to the Kerala cricket circuit following his omission from last season's Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), as he became the most expensive signing at the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) auction for a record ₹ 26.60 lakhs, being picked up by Kochi Blue Tigers, reported ESPNCricinfo on Saturday. This will be Samson's first competitive appearance since the conclusion of a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, in which he scored 285 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of over 140, with a half-century to his name. His team finished at number nine, winning just four and losing 10 and failing to finish their games well. Samson missed a chunk of the season due to a side strain. The KCL will mark Samson's first appearance in the Kerala circuit since he was last omitted from the VHT squad for not attending a preparation camp leading up to it. While the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) stated that they wanted to set a precedent, Samson claimed to have written to the board asking for permission to miss the camp. Named as the brand ambassador of the league, Samson missed the first-ever season of KCL due to international commitments last year. He has solidified his spot in T20Is for India, smashing three centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa last year. In 42 T20Is, he has made 861 runs at an average of 25.32, with three centuries and two fifties and a best score of 111. Last year, in 13 T20Is and 12 innings at an average of 43.60, with a strike rate of 180.16, three centuries and a fifty. The inaugural edition of the league came into focus during the IPL this year as the teenage left-arm spinner Vignesh Puthur was signed by five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) for ₹ 30 lakhs after fine performances in trials. He was also taken to South Africa, where he was the net bowler for MI Cape Town in the SA20 season three. Signed for ₹ 3.75 lakh during the first edition, Puthur's services were retained by Alleppey Ripples for the second edition. In his debut IPL, Puthur picked up six wickets in five matches for MI. (ANI)
