With the T20 Mumbai League set to return after a six-year hiatus, the Mumbai Cricket Association has named India’s ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma as the ambassador.
Additionally, the league is expecting to have players like Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer, among others featuring in the matches.
The league will be announced in Mumbai and Rohit Sharma is expected to be present at the event. The upcoming edition will comprise eight teams, with two new sides to be announced soon.
Each team will likely have some ‘icon players’, which could include Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Tushar Deshpande and Prithvi Shaw, and the MCA is considering paying them INR lakh each for the tournament.
“We have not made it mandatory for them to play but we strongly expect them to play in the T20 Mumbai League. Their participation will only help Mumbai cricket grow, and benefit the players and the league,” said an MCA official.
The inaugural edition began in 2018 and had its second season in 2019 before being stopped due to COVID-19. Although other leagues returned as the pandemic subsided, the Mumbai tournament took longer than expected.
The MCA have received more than 2,800 entries for the 2025 edition. The current six teams are North Mumbai Panthers, ARCS Andheri, Triumph Knight Mumbai North East, Namo Bandra Blasters, Eagle Thane Strikers and Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs.
Meanwhile, the MCA will also inaugurate the Women’s Maharashtra Premier League this season. India Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana has been named as the icon player of Ratnagiri Jets.
Ratnagiri Jets have won the men’s edition of the Maharashtra Premier League for two years in a row.
“The franchise has demonstrated success in the MPL and a clear vision for the women’s game. I’m excited to play a part in shaping the next chapter of this journey and cannot wait to hit the ground running with my new teammates,” Smriti Mandhana said in a release.
