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The fourth edition of the Shriram Capital Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 will take place at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Cricket Stadium in Mysuru. The two-week competition will run from August 11 to 28 and will be held as a closed-door event with no spectators in attendance.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Maharaja T20 was moved to Mysuru after the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) failed to get clearance from the Bengaluru police to stage the tournament at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. According to ESPNcricinfo, all franchise owners were informed about the changes earlier this week, which left them with a couple of days to finalise logistics. The opening day on August 11 will see Gulbarga Mystics take on Mangaluru Dragons in the afternoon fixture, followed by defending champions Mysore Warriors facing last year's runners-up Bengaluru Blasters in a highly anticipated evening clash. Double-header action will continue throughout the league phase, culminating in the play-offs from August 26 and the final on August 28. Legendary cricketer Gundappa Vishwanath, speaking on the tournament being held in Mysuru, said, as quoted from a press release by KSCA, "It has happened before in Mysuru and it has always been a good centre. Mysuru has always been a rich catchment area for Karnataka cricket, and it is great to see T20 cricket return to Mysuru. It's called the Maharaja Trophy, so it is a fitting venue." Arjun Ranga, owner of the Mysore Warriors, said, "We are thrilled to have the Maharaja Trophy in Mysuru. This region has always been deeply passionate about cricket, and having the tournament return to Mysuru is a special moment for both our franchise and the city. It is a special occasion, and we are eager to begin our title defence." Mysore Warriors' all-rounder Gowtham K, who was part of the side's title-winning campaign last year, added, "We are very excited to get the season underway, with preparations and training in full swing. Lifting the trophy last year was special, and this year we have a fantastic team once again. We are looking forward to competing in our home city." The six franchises are defending champions Mysore Warriors, Bengaluru Blasters, Hubli Tigers, Gulbarga Mystics, Shivamogga Lions and Mangaluru Dragons, who will battle for supremacy featuring top Karnataka talent including Prasidh Krishna, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal and Manish Pandey. (ANI)
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