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The third season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) is set to begin on Thursday at the Greenfield International Cricket Stadium here, with six teams set to battle for the title in the T20 tournament.
The opening match will see Calicut Globstars take on Thrissur Titans, while defending champions Kochi Blue Tigers will face Aries Kollam Sailors in the second game. The league will continue until September 5, with Trivandrum Royals and Alleppey Ripples completing the six-team field. A colourful inaugural ceremony featuring entertainment and cultural performances will be held at the venue from 6 PM. A fan village has also been set up near Gate 5 of the Greenfield Stadium, with free entry for spectators. The fan zone will feature a 360-degree photo booth, digital caricature counters, carnival games, team merchandise stalls, food outlets and festive lighting. The teams head into the new season after an eventful player auction in July, where Alleppey Ripples signed Sibin Girish for Rs 11.80 lakh, making him the most expensive player in the auction. Sibin, who was placed in Category C with a base price of Rs 75,000, attracted intense bidding following his performances in the previous KCL season and the recently concluded NSK Trophy. Alleppey Ripples eventually outbid Calicut Globstars, Thrissur Titans and Kochi Blue Tigers to secure his services. Krishnadev was the second-highest bid of the auction after being retained by Calicut Globstars for Rs 11.20 lakh, while veteran batter Sachin Baby joined Alleppey Ripples for Rs 10 lakh. A total of 18 players were retained by the six franchises ahead of the auction, while 89 players were acquired through the bidding process. Among the Category A players, Trivandrum Royals signed Vishnu Vinod for Rs 7.80 lakh, Kollam Sailors acquired Nidheesh MD for Rs 6.60 lakh, and Kochi Blue Tigers bought Basil Thampi for Rs 5.40 lakh. In the all-rounders' category, Calicut Globstars signed Abdul Basid for Rs 8 lakh, while Alleppey Ripples acquired Abhijith Praveen for Rs 6 lakh. Kollam Sailors also secured M. Ajnas for Rs 7 lakh and Anand Krishnan for Rs 5.20 lakh. Each franchise had a salary purse of Rs 50 lakh. Trivandrum Royals, Alleppey Ripples and Kochi Blue Tigers exhausted their entire purse, while Kollam Sailors spent Rs 49.75 lakh, Calicut Globstars Rs 49.70 lakh and Thrissur Titans Rs 49.35 lakh. The defending champions Kochi Blue Tigers will begin their title defence against Kollam Sailors, while the opening-day clash between Calicut Globstars and Thrissur Titans will kick off the third edition of the league. With six teams and a mix of established names and emerging Kerala talent, the KCL will look to build on the previous two seasons as it enters its third edition. (ANI)
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