Ravi Shastri goes down memory lane at ISPL launch

Ravi Shastri during the ISPL launch at the MCA lounge yesterday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer

Attending the launch of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) as the event's chief mentor caused former India captain Ravi Shastri to go into rewind mode. And when the all-rounder-turned-commentator and coach does that, the script is generally Mumbai-centric.

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India's first-ever T10 tennis ball cricket tournament to be staped inside a stadium will be held from March 2 to 9, 2024. Shastri recalled the evenings when he used to return home from Don Bosco school and play tennis-ball cricket with the boys in and around Navjivan Society, Mahim.

This activity used to take place at times after red-ball matches or net practice. "There would be competitions where five to six teams would participate. There would also be one or two professionals, who would make a fortune on weekends. Two hours here, two hours there… they were [travelling] pros, who played for teams at a price. There would be crowds to watch them," said Shastri on Monday.

ISPL will feature six teams, each owned by franchises representing Mumbai (Maharashtra), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Bengaluru (Karnataka), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Kolkata (West Bengal), and Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir). Shastri also said that one had to be street smart and quick-thinking to succeed as a batter in tennis-ball cricket. He saw the tournament as a great platform for young talent to get opportunities.