Bengaluru: BS Chandrasekhar, a legend of the game and one of Karnataka’s biggest contributions to cricket, unveiled Karbonn Smartphones Karnataka Premier League 2017 trophy, powered by Cycle Pure Agarbathies, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The launch was attended by luminaries of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) – President Sanjay Desai, Honorary secretary R Sudhakar Rao and members of the managing committee– along with all the seven participating teams of the tournament and its players.
Twenty20 is a young man’s game, and the KPL a tournament for upcoming cricketers, but it was something Chandrasekhar, who at 72 has seen cricket in its nascent stages in the state, spoke proudly of. “It’s a good tournament, it’s give openings to a lot of youngsters,” said Chandrasekhar. “I didn’t expect to be called up to unveil this trophy, but I’m glad to be associated in this way to this tournament. It gives important chances to youngsters. There are so many tournaments these days, but not everything gives the youngsters a chance to show their progress and improvement. It’s a very encouraging tournament.
He also reflected on the KPL’s similarities with structures back in his time as a player in the 1960s and 70s. “Things go on changing as the days go by. In our days, one-day cricket had started. I think tournaments like this is the modern day (equivalent).”
The trophy glittered under the lights of the P2 hall at the Chinnaswamy. While it looks similar to the trophy for the previous season, those with a discerning eye would have noticed a few modifications crafted for the upcoming sixth edition of the tournament.
“The trophy revolves around Maharaja Wadiyar, it was designed keeping him in mind,” says Dinesh from Idesign, the makers of the KPL trophy. “We’ve tried to bring in a floral design and some aspects from palaces and castles. The pillars have a lot of motifs on it and it all aims to reflect royalty. The design motif is in gold, and we’ve used the Maharaja’s portrait graphically.
“It is completely made of solid aluminium. If it was made from any other material, one would not be able to lift it. Aluminium makes it lightweight. We’ve made small changes, some fine tuning to the design for last year’s trophy. Some parts of the trophy are now gold plated, and behind the picture of the Maharaja, we’ve added precious stones to give it a diamond feel. This trophy will glitter.”
The trophy unveiling saw players and teams mingling in merriment, leaving behind on-field rivalries.
The sixth edition of the tournament will commence on Friday (1 September) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with the opener between Hubli Tigers and Belagavi Panthers. Over the next 23 days, a total of 24 matches will be played across three venues – Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubbali – as the seven teams fight it out to become champion of Karnataka.
The tournament will be played in the memory of SDNR Wadiyar, the former president of the KSCA and the scion of the Mysuru royal family.
