Chandigarh, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday unveiled the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League, an IPL-style state cricket tournament that will feature six franchise teams and some of the state’s leading cricketers. The league will be played from August 30 to September 13 at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.
More than 450 Punjab players will enter the auction on August 9, providing emerging cricketers an opportunity to share the platform with established stars and showcase their talent.
India captain Shubman Gill will represent Fazilka Falcons, Arshdeep Singh will turn out for Ludhiana Lions, Abhishek Sharma will play for Amritsar Soormaaz, Prabhsimran Singh for Jalandhar Warriors, Ramandeep Singh for Mohali Kings and Gurnoor Brar for Bathinda Royals.
Mann described the tournament as “Punjab’s own IPL” and said the participation of players who had brought recognition to the country would add to its stature.
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“Punjab is currently the backbone of the Indian cricket team, with 21 players from the state featuring in the IPL. All of them will now be among the major attractions of Punjab’s own league,” the Chief Minister said, adding that all participating players would be from Punjab.
The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing eight league matches. Among the players in the auction pool are Anmolpreet Singh, Mayank Markande, Naman Dhir, Vihaan Malhotra, Imanjot Singh Chahal, Ashwani Kumar and Krish Bhagat.
Mann said the league would give young players valuable exposure and allow them to share dressing rooms with established cricketers. He also linked the initiative to the state government’s wider push to promote sports as a means of steering young people away from drugs.
“Sports are the principal weapon in this battle,” he said, referring to the campaign against drugs in Punjab.
The Chief Minister highlighted the annual Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan sporting event and said more than 3,100 sports grounds were being developed across the state to strengthen the sporting culture. He also noted that Punjab would host the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy for the first time in October-November.
The announcement was attended by Indian cricketers Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh and Ramandeep Singh. Punjab Cricket Association president Amarjit Mehta, secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and vice-president Deepak Bali also attended the event.
The PCA office-bearers presented Mann with a T-shirt bearing the league logo, while the Indian cricketers presented him with a cricket bat and ball.
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