Bereft of action for over five months due to the Covid-induced nationwide lockdown, Jharkhand willow-holders now have an opportunity to warm-up for the upcoming season starting September 15.

The inaugural Jharkhand Premier League T20 at the JSCA International Cricket Complex Stadium in Ranchi will be a platform for players from six different zones to display their prowess with the bat and ball.

The tournament will be the first live sports event in the country since the nationwide lockdown began on March 25, said JSCA secretary Sanjay Sahay.

The event will comprise of 33 matches to be played across 17 days.

“The six teams representing six zones include Ranchi Raiders, Dumka Daredevils, Dhanbad Dynamos, Singhbhum Strikers, Jamshedpur Jugglers and Bokaro Blasters. The teams shall comprise only of players who are registered with the JSCA from the state of Jharkhand. Nearly 100 players will be part of the tournament. There will be no franchises or team owners,” Sahay added.

The state association has partnered with TCM Sports, a sports marketing firm, to efficiently conduct the event.

TCM will be responsible for all commercial rights related to the tournament, end to end operations and management of the league.

The firm holds exclusive ground rights across various cricket stadia in India and abroad.

“The Association is humbled and offers its deepest gratitude to the state government for its proactive support in these despairing times, to kick-start sporting activities in Jharkhand,” said JSCA president Nafees Akhtar Khan.

JSCA and TCM have plans to make the tournament an annual affair to ensure twin objectives of focussing on the development of the sport in the state and eventually taking it to deeper pockets of Jharkhand.

The event will be sans some top crickets, including Ranji Trophy skipper Saurabh Tiwary, Varun Aaron, Ishan Kishan, Shahbaz Nadeem, Virat Singh, Monu Kumar and Anukul Roy to name a few.

These cricketers are currently in Dubai for the Indian Premier League (IPL) beginning September 19.