Great news for cricket aficionados, the grand Kashmir Premier League is right around the corner! Recently, the countdown for the first edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL 2021) began with a stellar launch- the exclusive KPL Draft Event was held on 3rd July in the national capital Islamabad. In a bid to pick the most balanced team, which could potentially claim the inaugural title of the Kashmir Premier League, all six of the franchise owners, along with the teams’ respective think-tanks participated in the event.

The red carpet event kicked-off at 5:30 PM with the arrival of the invitees, which included some well-known names from different fields of Pakistan. Chairman Kashmir committee, Mr Shehryar Khan Afridi, Senator Faisal Javed, President KPL Arif Malikand and CEO KPL Shehzad Chaudhry attended the event. The legendary Waseem Akram (Vice President KPL), Shahid Afridi (Brand Ambassador), Inzamam ul Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Umar Amin and Abdul Razzaq also graced the event with their presence. The honourable guests shared their views with the media upon arrival, and showed a lot of excitement for a league that would represent Kashmir in the world of cricket for the very first time.

The event commenced with a welcome speech delivered by Director Cricket Operations KPL Taimoor Ali Khan. He spoke about how the ‘Young Talent’ from Kashmir would be promoted by the league on an international level.

Vice President of KPL Wasim Akram was the first honoured guest to speak to the audience and following him was the living-legend Shahid Afridi who is also the brand ambassador of the KPL. Both highlighted the importance of the KPL as an initiative towards better and prosperous Kashmir. They further praised and admired the efforts of the KPL management for such a colossal initiative that is uniting people and bringing a positive change in the society.

Senator Faisal Javed and Chairman, Parliamentary Committee Shehryar Khan Afridi also congratulated the management for this revolutionary initiative for Kashmir. They also endorsed the KPL and ensured the continuous support from the government at every step for the success of the league.

Post the introductory speeches, the players’ auction began and all of the six franchises got busy picking players in the various categories- Overseas, Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging.

The six remarkable teams participating in the KPL 2021 as of the following are: Rawlakot Hawks captained by Shahid Afridi, Muzafarabad Tigers captained by Muhammd Hafeez, Mirpur Royals captained by Shoaib Malik, Kotli Lions Captained by Fakhar Zaman, Bagh Stallions captained by Shadab Khan and Overseas Warrior captained by Imad Wasim.

The memorable Draft Event concluded with a commitment towards a successful inaugural season of the Kashmir Premier League, which will be starting from the 6th-17th August 2021 in Muzaffarabad, A J & K.

For more updates visit here.