VPLgets bigger and better

The second edition of Vidarbha Premier League (VPL) organised by Vidarbha Cricket Association in June will have some added attractions. The launch event held on Friday witnessed the unveiling of the league’s new brand identity, including the official logo, league mascot, and the season campaign, setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in Vidarbha’s cricketing journey.

This year VPL women’s tournament will feature four teams --- one up from last season --- marking a big step toward inclusivity and balanced representation in regional cricket.

The Pagariya Group, which owns a men’s team (Pagariya Strikers), acquired the additional women’s team through a transparent bidding process put in place by the VPL Governing Council, headed by Prashant Vaidya. The women’s tournament will now have six league and two knockout matches, including a Qualifier and the final.

The men’s tournament too will see a significant rise in the number of matches. Each team will play each other once in the League stage and two matches each in the Super League before heading into the Playoffs. The Playoffs will include an Eliminator, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2 and the Final. The women's matches are likely to be played at the VCA Civil Lines Stadium, while the men's matches will be played at the VCA's Jamtha Stadium.

Speaking on the occasion Prashant Vaidya, former India international and chairman of the VPL Governing Council, said: “The launch of the Vidarbha Premier League Season 2 reiterates our commitment to elevate cricket in the region and provide a platform to nurture talent while engaging fans in a meaningful way. This is just the beginning of something truly special.".

VCA secretary Sanjay Badkas said, "The VPL is a festival of cricket --- filled with energy, entertainment and unforgettable moments." He urged the players to play with courage, integrity and for joy. He appealed to the fans to come in large numbers and enjoy the matches to make the tournament a true sporting spectacle".

Francise owners Sanjay Agrawal, Inu Majumdar, Siddhesh Sharma, Rohit Agrawal, Ulhas Pagariya Raj Pagariya and Ramesh Jaiswal expressed their views on the occasion.