Hyderabad: As many as 10 teams will fight it out in the Super League stage of the G. Venkataswamy Memorial Telangana T20 League that gets underway at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.
The Ranga Reddy Risers will meet Medak Mavericks in the inaugural match at 8 pm post the opening ceremony that begins at 4.30 pm before action shifts to Mahbubnagar the following day when MLR Royals Mahbubnagar cross swords with Kakatiya Kings to open their home game. Mahbubnagar will host five other matches, till February 15.
Five matches will also be played at Siddipet between February 9 and 11 with the Khammam Tiraa opening the proceedings against Medak Mavericks before action returns to Hyderabad’s RGICS, Gymkhana and AOC grounds.
Semifinalists will be spotted after 45 league matches are completed on February 22. The top four teams will contest the games to enter the title round on February 24 before the match for the third-place as well as the final are played on February 25 at the Gymkhana ground and RGICS respectively.
On Friday, Hyderabad Cricket Association president G. Vivekanand launched the logos of the 10 teams. Speaking on the occasion, he said the tournament will provide a platform for rural cricketers to showcase their talent. “We are conducting this tournament under the guidelines of BCCI and in coordination with Anti-Corruption Bureau. Efforts are also on to live stream the matches through Youtube,” he said.
The total prize money of the tournament is '40 lakh with the winners taking home Rs 15 lakh while the runners-up will get Rs 7.5 lakh. The third-place team will stand to gain Rs 5 lakh.
The teams: Kakatiya Kings, Nizamabad Knights, Medak Mavericks, MLR Royals Mahbubnagar, Karimnagar Warriors, Khammam Tiraa, Adilabad Tigers, Nalgonda Lions, Ranga Reddy Risers, Hyderabad Sreenidhian Thunderbolts.
Venues: Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Gymkhana Grounds, AOC Ground (all in Hyderabad), MLR Ground (Mahbubnagar), Siddipet Mini Stadium.
