Nagpur, May 24 (IANS) The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) has announced six franchises in the men's and three in the women's section and the final squads for the inaugural edition of the Vidarbha Pro T20 League, which is scheduled to be played from June 5 to 15 this year. At a glittering function held at the VCA Recreation Club on Saturday, the six franchises were each allotted a 16-member squad and a list of support staff.

Each squad was pre-selected by VCA’s Senior Selection Committee, ensuring good balance in the line-up to boost keen competition.

All matches will be hosted at the world-class VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur. The VPTL features six franchise teams for men and three for women, showcasing a dynamic mix of emerging cricketers, local heroes, and seasoned players from the Vidarbha region. The tournament aims to provide a high-quality platform for homegrown talent and strengthen the domestic cricket structure in Central India.

The six men’s franchises selected for the inaugural season are Neco Master Blaster (owned by the Neco Group), Orange Tigers (owned by Abhijit Realtors & Infraventures Pvt. Ltd), Nagpur Titans (owned by the Sanvijay Group), Bharat Rangers (owned by Rohit Iron & Steel (India) Pvt. Ltd), Nagpur Heroz (owned by Lily Infraventure) and the Pagariya Strikers (owned by the Pagariya Group).

The women’s tournament will run concurrently with the men’s event with Neco Master Blaster, Orange Tigresses (Abhijit Realtors & Infraventures Pvt. Ltd), and Nagpur Titans (The Sanvijay Group) owning an additional women’s team each.

The process of allotment of the teams involved drawing lots. First, a draw of lots was conducted to determine the sequence (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) in which the franchises get to pick the squads. It was followed by another draw of lots as each franchise picked a ‘bail’ from the box, which had the name of the team (A, B, C, D, E, F). The corresponding team lists prepared by the VCA selectors were then allotted to the franchises.

“The Vidarbha Premier T20 League is more than just a tournament --- it is a celebration of regional cricket and an opportunity for young players to shine,” Prashant Vaidya, Chairman of the Governing Council of VPTL, said.

To ensure the League is conducted with the utmost professionalism and excellence, Arivaa Sports Private Limited — who managed the successful Bengal Pro T20 League — has been awarded the exclusive rights to manage the League.

The VPTL has already announced two icons of Indian cricket, Umesh Yadav and Jhulan Goswami, as its official brand ambassadors for the upcoming season.

--IANS

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