The inaugural Kohima Premier League (KPL), organized under the aegis of the Kohima District Cricket Association (KDCA), will commence on Friday at the Nagaland Cricket Association Stadium, Sovima. According to the KPL Governing Team, the T20 League will feature four teams: The Capital Sixers, Oking Outlaws, Ura Mavericks, and Central Hurricanes. The tournament will run from 9th to 13th January.
A total of 60 KDCA-registered players, along with two players from the Tseminyu District Association, were drafted into a common players’ pool. The four teams have selected their squads from this pool, aiming to build the strongest lineups. Additionally, each team is required to include at least one U-16 player and one junior player to ensure exposure for young and emerging talent.
The Governing Team stated that the primary objective of the KPL is to provide a platform for budding local cricketers to showcase their skills and compete in a professional environment with high-quality facilities. The league also aims to prepare and nurture young players, enabling them to advance to the professional level.
To ensure the sustainability of the league, the Governing Team has limited the number of teams to four for this season. However, they are open to expanding the league in terms of teams, prizes, and other arrangements in future editions, depending on the success and response to the inaugural season.
In the players’ draft, Kelhousilie Zapoutuo, a current U-23 Nagaland team player, emerged as the highest-valued player of KPL Season 1, followed by Tapitu Tupitor and Zidu Pohena in second and third places, respectively.