Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has proposed the launch of a new state-level cricket league—‘Sher-e-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh Cricket League’—to groom world-class cricket talent from the grassroots.
While interacting with office-bearers of the newly formed Punjab Cricket Association (PCA), who called on him on Saturday, Mann said the league should hold matches at the village, block, district, and state levels to truly tap into Punjab’s vast cricketing potential.
“This ambitious tournament should be modeled on the lines of 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan', which is organized annually by the state government to provide a platform to budding sportsmen to exhibit their talent,” he said.
The Chief Minister further that the league would play a key role in discovering the untapped cricketing talent spread across Punjab.
The Chief Minister highlighted the pride Punjab has already brought to Indian cricket through players like Harbhajan Singh (now an AAP Rajya Sabha MP), Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, and others.
The Chief Minister emphasised that with the right platform, many more talented players from Punjab could rise to fame.
Mann assured full support to the newly elected PCA team and expressed confidence that their leadership would take cricket in Punjab to greater heights.
He also announced that the state government would construct international-level cricket stadiums in Jalandhar and Amritsar, in addition to the existing facility at Mullanpur.
Noting with pride that the captains of both India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams hail from Punjab, the Chief Minister restated his government’s commitment to making Punjab a front-runner in sports, through upgraded infrastructure and promoting athletic excellence.
PCA president Amarjit Mehta, vice-president Deepak Bali, secretary Kulwant Singh, and other officials present during the meeting assured the Chief Minister of their commitment to further promoting cricket across the state.
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