The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) will organise the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League from August 30 to September 23 with Indian cricketers ODI and Test team captain Shubman Gill, along with Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, Prabhsimran Singh and Ramandeep Singh, who will play at the Maharaja Yadavindra PCA International Cricket Stadium.As reported last month in the same columns, the tournament will be the first-ever franchisee-based T20 league tournament organised by the PCA. The league was launched today by PCA president Amarjeet Singh Mehta in the presence of PCA secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and Indian players Gill, Arshdeep and others.A total of six teams will compete in this tournament, which will feature 27 matches — two matches daily, including one under floodlights. The tournament will be played in the round-robin format. Each franchise will have one marquee player and at least two icon players, ensuring a perfect blend of international stars, domestic performers and emerging talent from Punjab. The official logo of the tournament was also unveiled during the launch ceremony.“The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is a wonderful platform for young cricketers of our state, and we are grateful to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his constant support in making this vision a reality. The league will give aspiring players the opportunity to share the dressing room with international stars, showcase their talent on a bigger stage and take the next step forward in their cricketing journey. We thank all players, the Punjab Cricket Association and everyone associated with this initiative,” said Mehta.Auction and teamsThe six franchises representing Amritsar, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali and Bathinda will form their squads ahead of the inaugural season. The auction of the players will be held on August 9 in Chandigarh. The six Indian team players will be allocated to six different teams. Each franchise will have a salary purse of Rs 45 lakh. The marquee players’ (Indian team player) price has been fixed at Rs 10 lakh each, while the base price for an icon player is Rs 1.50 lakh. The base price for Punjab first-class players has been set at Rs 1 lakh, U-23 players at Rs 75,000, U-19 players at Rs 50,000 and district players at Rs 20,000 each.Each franchise can have a maximum squad size of 20 players, and bidding cannot exceed the 45 lakh salary purse. “Punjab has always been one of India’s strongest contributors to cricket. From Lala Amarnath to legends like Yuvraj Singh, and now players like Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh and Harmanpreet Kaur, the state has consistently produced world-class cricketers. The depth of talent in Punjab is unmatched, and that is why we believe the Sher-e-Punjab T20 League will become one of the country’s premier domestic T20 competitions,” added Hayer.“The league will provide young cricketers with a platform to showcase their talent alongside international stars while taking the next step in their careers,” added PCA joint secretary Sidhant Sharma. On the occasion, PCA officials, including vice-president Deepak Bali and treasurer Jattvibeil Gupta, also felicitated the franchise owners and cricketers.