Focus on star players and legends as Bhilwara Kings take on India Capitals in LLC opener in Ranchi

Ranchi (Jharkhand): Top starts like Harbhajan Singh, Chris Gayle, Gautam Gambhir, Aaron Finch, Suresh Raina, Kevin Pietersen and Parthiv Patel will be part of the six teams in the highly anticipated season of Legends League Cricket (LLC), set to start here on Saturday.

On the opening day, Munaf Patel, Pravin Tambe, and Hashim Amla will take centerstage when Bhilwara Kings take on India Capitals, led by Irfan Pathan, in the opening match of the LLC at the JSCA Stadium here.

Six teams — India Capitals, Bhilwara Kings, Gujarat Giants, Manipal Tigers, Southern Super Stars, and Urbanrisers Hyderabad — will be fighting for the coveted trophy.

Speaking on the eve of the tournament, former India cricketer Munaf Patel said, “Legends League Cricket is one of the biggest leagues of the country. And talking about starting the league in Ranchi, only one name comes to mind, my captain, M.S. Dhoni. The stadium that also has his name on the pavilion, is definitely one of the best stadiums in the country. “

Talking about India’s clash with Australia in the World Cup final in Ahmedabad, he further added “We are really excited and looking forward to India’s win in the final of the ICC World Cup.”

The Legends League Cricket, a six-team tournament will be played across five cities in India — Ranchi, Dehradun, Jammu, Vizag, and Surat and is scheduled to run from November 18 to December 9.

The much-anticipated season will commence with a thrilling rematch between Bhilwara Kings and India Capitals on Saturday, a repeat of last season’s final where India Capitals emerged victorious, lifting the coveted trophy.

Bhilwara Kings boast a potent lineup comprising cricketing stalwarts and emerging talents. The explosive batting duo of Irfan and Yusuf Pathan, combined with the strategic prowess of Shane Watson, adds a dynamic edge to the team. The bowling attack, featuring the likes of Ryan Sidebottom and Iqbal Abdulla, promises to keep opponents on their toes.

The India Capitals present a formidable combination of seasoned campaigners and rising stars. The team’s bowling arsenal is strengthened by the presence of Pravin Tambe, the dynamic Ashley Nurse, and the experienced Fidel Edwards.

Star spinner Pravin Tambe said, “Legends League Cricket is a platform to relive the joy and passion for cricket. India Capitals is a team filled with talent, and I am honoured to be part of this journey.”

Raman Raheja, CEO and Co-founder, of Legends League Cricket said, “We are hoping for an exciting and scintillating season starting from November 18. We would like to take the opportunity to thank our fans for the huge response and are looking forward to packed stadiums for all the matches. The matches will be reminiscent of cricketing talent that the entire country has loved over the years.”

In all, 19 matches will be played across 22 days in what promises to be a mouth-watering tournament. After Ranchi, the action will shift to Dehradun on November 24, with the Bhilwara Kings clashing with the Gujarat Giants in what will be the sixth match of the season.

Complete squads:

India Capitals: Gautam Gambhir (c), Pravin Tambe, Ashley Nurse, Morne van Wyk, Rusty Theron, Ben Robert Dunk, Ricardo Powell, Fidel Edwards, Dilhara Fernando, Kirk Edwards, Ishwar Pandey, Hashim Amla, Kevin Pietersen, K P Appanna, Munaf Patel, Yalaka Gneswara Rao, Bharat Chipli, Hamish Bennette, Isuru Udana

Bhilwara Kings: Irfan Pathan (c), Yusuf Pathan, Ryan Sidebottom, Iqbal Abdulla, Pinal Shah, Tim Murtagh, Christopher Barnwell, Anureet Singh, Jesal Karia, Solomon Mire, Lendl Simmons, Dhammika Prasad, Prosper Utseya, Rahul Sharma, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Robin Bisht, Anand Rajan, Jason Mohammed, Shrikant Wagh

Gujarat Giants: Parthiv Patel (c), Chris Gayle, Kevin O’Brien, Elton Chigumbura, Richard Levi, Seekkuge Prasanna, S. Sreesanth, Sarabjit Ladda, Sulieman Benn, Rayad Ryan Emrit, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Chirag Khurana, Monty Panesar, Jacques Kallis, Dhruv Raval, Rajat Bhatia, Trent Johnston

Manipal Tigers: Harbhajan Singh (c), Mohammad Kaif, Thisara Perera, Robin Uthappa, Hamilton Masakadza, Amitoze Singh. Pankaj Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Chadwick Walton, Mitchell McClenaghan, Parvinder Awana, Praveen Gupta, Kyle Coetzer, S. Badrinath, Imran Khan, Praveen Kumar, Yogesh Takawale, Angelo Perera

Southern Super Stars: Aaron Finch (c), Upul Tharanga, Abdur Razzak, Jesse Ryder, Suranga Lakmal, Manvinder Bisla, Ashok Dinda, Bipul Sharma, Andre McCarthy, Pankaj Kumar Rao, Rajesh Bishnoi, Farveez Maharoof, Ross Taylor, Johan Botha, Shreevats Goswami, Amila Aponso, Pawan Negi, Hameed Hasan, Dilshan Munaweer

Urbanrisers Hyderabad: Suresh Raina (c), Martin Guptill, Dwayne Smith, Peter Trego, Chamara Kapugedera, Stuart Binny, Asghar Afghan, Tino Best, Amit Paunikar, Christopher Mpofu, Pawan Suyal, Jerome Taylor, Sudeep Tyagi, Yogesh Nagar, Shivakant Shukla, Pragyan Ojha, Devendra Bishoo, Tirumalasetti Suman, Shadab Jakati, Gurkeerat Mann, Rikki Clarke.

–IANS