MCA-like IPL tournament to only include cricketers eligible to play for Mumbai

MCA to welcome only cricketers who are eligible - or currently playing - for Mumbai

Batsman Sarfaraz Khan failed to make the cut for the city T20 league

The inaugural Mumbai T20 tournament will stay true to its name - only those players who are eligible to play for Mumbai in the national tournaments will qualify for Mumbai Cricket Association's (MCA) IPL-like tournament. The organisers have decided to not include any Mumbai player, who is playing for another state team, in the Mumbai T20.

As a result, players like teen batting sensation Sarfaraz Khan, who plays for Uttar Pradesh, and ex-Test batsman Wasim Jaffer, who was part of Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy-winning team this season, will not be seen in action in front of their home crowd. However, those cricketers who have returned to Mumbai cricket after plying their trade for another state, will be eligible to play in the Mumbai T20 event provided they have the No Objection Certificate from the state they last represented.

So, players like Iqbal Abdulla or Bhavin Thakkar, who played the last season from Kerala, can make the cut for Mumbai T20 as they are currently serving the mandatory one-year cooling off period before being eligible to play for Mumbai again.

It is learnt that current India players Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur will also enter the auction despite their availability for the entire tournament being in doubt. Most of them will be part of the tri-series in Sri Lanka which will be played from March 6 to 18. The Mumbai T20 league will be played between March 11 and 21.

A MCA official said there will be no minimum age criteria. "It's open for all players from Mumbai," he said. Cricketers from Thane and Navi Mumbai (which are in Mumbai jurisdiction) too can register for the Mumbai T20 despite no teams from that region. In the last two days, more than 1000 players have registered for the T20 league, the first of its kind by the MCA. Today is the final day for player registration.

The players will be picked in an auction, similar to the IPL. The maximum players purse per team is R35 lakh. For support staff, R15 lakh has been earmarked. There will be six marquee players where a maximum of R7 lakh can be bid for each player. All matches will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, the venue of India's 2011 World Cup victory. 

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