Sher-e-Punjab T20 League Launched to Showcase State’s Emerging Cricket Talent

New Chandigarh, Aug 2026 : The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) on Sunday officially launched the inaugural Sher-e-Punjab T20 League, a new domestic cricket tournament aimed at providing a professional platform for the state’s emerging players and strengthening the talent pipeline for Punjab and Indian cricket.

The league was launched at the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh by PCA secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and president Amarjeet Singh Mehta in the presence of India captain Shubman Gill and pacer Arshdeep Singh. The official logo of the tournament was also unveiled during the launch ceremony.

The inaugural edition will be played from August 30 to September 13, featuring six franchises and 27 matches in a round-robin format. Several prominent Punjab cricketers, including Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Prabhsimran Singh and Ramandeep Singh, are expected to be associated with the competition.

Gill welcomed the initiative, describing the league as an important opportunity for young players to demonstrate their abilities and take steps towards representing Punjab and eventually India.

“Punjab has always produced outstanding cricketers, and I believe this league will help discover many more,” Gill said, congratulating the PCA on the initiative and expressing confidence in the tournament’s success.

PCA secretary Meet Hayer highlighted Punjab’s rich contribution to Indian cricket, pointing to legendary players such as Lala Amarnath and Yuvraj Singh as well as contemporary stars including Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur.

He said the depth of cricketing talent in the state provided a strong foundation for the new league and expressed confidence that the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League could eventually become one of India’s leading domestic T20 competitions.

Hayer described the tournament as a visionary initiative of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, aimed at creating a professional environment where promising cricketers can compete alongside established players and gain valuable experience.

“The league will provide young cricketers with a platform to showcase their talent alongside international stars,” he said, thanking the players, PCA officials, franchise owners and others involved in organising the competition.

PCA president Amarjeet Singh Mehta said the tournament would give aspiring cricketers an opportunity to share dressing rooms with established stars while performing under competitive conditions before a wider audience.

He said the league would play an important role in shaping the next generation of Punjab cricketers and further strengthening the state’s position in Indian cricket.

The launch ceremony also featured the felicitation of franchise owners and players by PCA officials, including Meet Hayer, Mehta, vice-president Deepak Bali, treasurer Sunil Gupta and joint secretary Sidhant Sharma.

The squads for the six franchises will be finalised during the inaugural auction on August 9. The teams will represent Amritsar, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Bathinda.

Each franchise will have a salary purse of ₹45 lakh, while the marquee player has been assigned a value of ₹10 lakh. The base price for an icon player has been fixed at ₹1.5 lakh.

The tournament’s player structure also provides opportunities for cricketers at different stages of their careers. The base prices have been fixed at ₹1 lakh for Punjab first-class players, ₹75,000 for U-23 players, ₹50,000 for U-19 players and ₹20,000 for district-level players.

Each franchise will be permitted to build a squad of up to 20 players.

With a mix of established names and emerging talent, the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is expected to provide young cricketers with valuable exposure while creating a structured pathway for the next generation of Punjab players to progress towards higher levels of the game.