The Mankind Pharma Sher-E-Punjab T20 League is Punjab’s newest professional T20 cricket league bringing together six city-based franchises to create a new platform for cricket, talent and pride. The tournament begins on 30 August and runs through 13 September.
Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma and left-arm spinner Arshdeep Singh headline the marquee players for the Punjab Cricket Team. A player auction will take place on 9 August.
| No. | Player Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shubman Gill | Batter / Captain |
| 2 | Abhishek Sharma | All-rounder |
| 3 | Anmolpreet Singh | Batter |
| 4 | Harnoor Singh | Batter |
| 5 | Uday Saharan | Batter |
| 6 | Nehal Wadhera | Batter / All-rounder |
| 7 | Jaskaranvir Paul | Batter |
| 8 | Jashanpreet Sidhu | Batter |
| 9 | Harpreet Brar | All-rounder |
| 10 | Prerit Dutta | All-rounder |
| 11 | Raghu Sharma | All-rounder |
| 12 | Gurnoor Brar | Bowler |
| 13 | Ayush Goyal | Bowler |
| 14 | Sukhdeep Bajwa | Bowler |
| 15 | Ashwani Kumar | Bowler |
| 16 | Arshdeep Singh | Bowler |
The history of the team
Punjab has a rich and diverse cricket history. The state has produced some of the greatest names in Indian cricket including Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Ramandeep Singh. The province also has some of the best training facilities in the country and has a number of outstanding players.
The team has been coached by some of the finest coaches in the world, such as Glenn McGrath, Trevor Bayliss and John Buchanan. It has also a long list of former captains, including Amardeep Yadav, Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma. The team has struggled in limited-overs cricket, however, and has never won the Ranji Trophy.
In 2014 and 2025 the Punjab cricket team finished runners-up in the Indian Premier League. The team is currently owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia and Preity Zinta. The team is based in New Chandigarh and plays their home matches at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium.
Previously, the Punjab cricket team competed as three separate teams, with Southern Punjab, Eastern Punjab and Northern Punjab each having their own team. The teams were unified in 1968-69, when the Punjab Cricket Association was formed as a single entity. The association covers the districts of Amritsar, Jalandhar District, Patiala, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur District.
Since the team’s formation in 1968, it has won only one Ranji Trophy and two Irani Trophies. The team has also had its share of successes in the Champions League Twenty20, finishing runners-up in both 2014 and 2024.
Punjab is well-known for its cricket culture and has a strong tradition of support for the sport. The Mankind Pharma Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, which is being held in the city of Mohali, aims to highlight this heritage and bring the game closer to Punjab’s fans. The league will feature six ambitious franchises and promises to be a tournament full of intense rivalries, thrilling performances and unforgettable cricketing moments.
The franchise system is designed to give young cricketers a platform for success and help them make the transition from local tournaments to the big stage of the IPL. The league has also attracted marquee players such as Gurnoor Brar and Ramandeep Singh, who will help to build the reputation of the competition.
The squad
Punjab is home to some of India’s best young talent. The state’s players have starred in international tournaments like the IPL and Champions Trophy. Some of them also represent India at the junior level.
The state has a good track record in domestic cricket, having qualified for a Ranji Trophy semi-final once in the last five seasons. The team has also been runners-up in the 2014 and 2025 editions of the Indian Premier League.
The Punjab Cricket Association has decided to revamp its flagship domestic T20 league and bring in six franchises. The Mankind Pharma Sher-E-Punjab T20 league will take place from August 30 to September 13 and feature 27 matches including two semifinals and a grand final. The tournament will have a purse of Rs45 lakh and will offer marquee, icon and other players a salary of up to Rs10 lakh.
It has been announced that a number of high-profile players will be part of the new Sher-E-Punjab squad, with India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma and left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh all set to represent the franchise.
PCA chairman Rakesh Mehta says the addition of such marquee players will be a major boost to the competition and encourage young players in the region to join them.
Mehta adds that the move to franchises will make the league more competitive and commercially stronger. He also says that it will provide a platform for the country’s top U-19 and U-23 players to showcase their talents. “Having top Punjab cricketers playing in the same dressing room will inspire younger players to aim higher and represent India one day,” he says.
The new squad will be selected through a bidding process, with each franchise getting one spot in the auction. The teams will have to bid against each other for the right to pick their players, with the winning bid being the highest on the opening day of the auction. The winners will also have to pay a deposit of Rs25 crore, which will be returned after the completion of the league.
The stadiums
The Punjab cricket team uses several stadiums to host their home matches. The Inderjit Singh Bindra stadium in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar is the main venue for Tests and ODIs. It is also the home of the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the Indian Premier League. It can seat up to 44,000 people and has 16 floodlights.
The stadium is also used for domestic tournaments. The Maharaja Yadavindra Singh international cricket ground in Patiala is another important venue for the team. New cricket grounds of international recognition are expected to be constructed in Bathinda and Ludhiana.
The team first competed as a unified team in the Ranji Trophy in 1968-69. Previously, the teams of Northern Punjab, Eastern Punjab, and Southern Punjab had competed independently. The Punjab team has won the Ranji Trophy only once, in 1992-93. It has also participated in a few Irani Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournaments.
In addition to the ICC’s regular venues, the state also hosts its own domestic T20 competition. The Mankind Pharma Sher-e-Punjab T20 league brings together six city-based franchises to create a new platform for cricket and talent. The inaugural season took place from August 30 to September 13. It featured 27 matches, including two semifinals and a grand final.
One of the key highlights of this season was the record-breaking run chase by Punjab against Kolkata in match 42. It was the highest successful run chase in the history of T20 cricket. The team also won the Purple Cap, which is awarded to the best player in each match. The Sher-e-Punjab team has been ranked ninth in the world by the ICC, and captain Shubman Gill says the tournament is a stepping stone for young players who want to play Ranji Trophy or represent India.
The Sher-e-Punjab teams are backed by a strong management team and a roster of marquee players. The teams are expected to deliver a high-energy, high-performance season. Moreover, the competition will feature a salary structure that rewards local players while also providing an incentive for global stars to join the tournament. Players will be valued based on their experience, with the top players earning Rs10 lakh. The remaining players will receive salaries ranging from Rs1.5 lakh to Rs2.5 lakh.
The management
The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) is the governing body for the development and organization of cricket in the state of Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh. The association is responsible for running the country’s largest domestic T20 league, the Mankind Pharma Sher-E-Punjab T20 Cricket League, which features six city-based franchises and a roster of some of the best players from Punjab.
In addition to this, the team also plays in other domestic tournaments and is a regular participant in the Champions League Twenty20. The team has qualified for the semifinals of this tournament twice and has been a top-four finisher once.
Despite being a top-four finisher in the Champions League, the team has struggled to win games in recent years. This was largely due to the inconsistent performance of their captain Parvinder Awana, who has only managed to score a total of 19 runs in two matches. Moreover, the team’s selection of players has been a major issue. In the last Ranji Trophy season, the team started with Naman Dhir as captain but had to change to Uday Saharan after just two matches.
This season, the team has overhauled its coaching set-up, bringing in Amit Uniyal as head coach, TP Singh as batting coach, Harmeet Singh as bowling coach and Manish Sharma as fielding coach. This new-look side will look to improve on their current fourth place finish and compete for the top spot in this year’s competition.
The first edition of the Sher-E-Punjab League was held at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali and saw a star-studded line-up battle it out for the championship. Several players from the Punjab Cricket Team, including Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh, were among the marquee names.
The tournament will return for a second season from August 30 to September 13, and it has changed its format from a single-entry league to a six-team franchise-based competition. This will give the tournament more depth and make it more competitive. It is expected to attract a bigger audience and provide a platform for young cricketers from the region.
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