Eight teams to battle it out as GPL set to begin on Apr 8

Mangaluru: With Cricket fans busy with Indian Premier League and Coastalwood Premier League, Amchegele Cricketers of Kodial are all excited as GSB Premier League aka GPL is all set to begin at Sahyadri College Grounds, Adyar in the city on Saturday.

Initiated by GPL Cricketers, a unit of Sevanjali Charitable Trust, this will be the maiden edition of GPL and eight teams will participate vying for the top prize of Rs 1,55,555.

The teams are: GSB Friends, Kota, Kodial Challengers, Mangaluru, Kodial Super Kings and GSB Superkings, Karkala, RK Knight Riders, Kalabhairava Cricketers, Karkala, Namo Warriors, Kodial and Pearl City Smasher.

The two-day event will be played under floodlights and will witness the participation of budding cricketers from Gowd Saraswath Brahmin community from Mangaluru, Kundapur, Karkala, Bhatkal, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kerala representing their respective franchisees.

The matches will have eight overs a side and will be an over arm tennis ball affair; the league will have a qualifier and an eliminator.

Reports state that runners up will be awarded Rs 88,888 and a trophy while the team finishing third will be awarded Rs 33,333. The Man of the Series will receive a Suzuki Axis.

Organizers of the tourney will honour former cricketing talent from the community: Umanath Kamath, Kasturi Balakrishna Pai and Basti Gopal Shenoy. Kishore Kamath, a player of the Mumbai Indians will be present for the inaugural function, it is said.