If you thought T20 Mumbai was already on the path of greatness, wait till you find out some of the names on board to play in the league! With the likes of Abhishek Nayar and Dhaval Kulkarni to come out and play with some of Mumbai’s best local talent, you can expect the inaugural season of T20 Mumbai to be a blockbuster.

A giant on the domestic scene, Abhishek Nayar brings with him great experience and knowhow of how things pan out in the heart of Mumbai cricket. Equally effective with both, bat and ball, he will be an asset for whichever team he ends up playing for in the league.

“I think it is a great initiative. Every family in Mumbai hopes to see their brothers and sons and husbands playing on the big screen,” said the 34-year old all-rounder.

“Most local cricketers and club cricketers who are working hard for so many years don’t get the opportunity to represent Mumbai at any level. The MCA, IIFL and Wizcraft have given incentive to every Mumbai cricketer to upgrade their game. In years to come, you will see a lot of talent coming out of this league.”

Nayar, who also has years of playing experience in T20 leagues thanks to the Indian Premier League (IPL), spoke of the strong platform that the league will provide to up and coming cricketers.

“Whenever we talk about cricket, there is a different kind of enthusiasm. Every cricketer will be hoping to take their game a notch higher, and I am sure this league would do it for them,” he asserted.

Dhawal Kulkarni – a medium fast bowler who has not only impressed on the domestic scene, but also at the highest level for India - held similar opinions.

“There are cricketers in Mumbai who travel from far places like Virar, Vasai, Kalyan. This is a dream come true for them. They take a lot of effort to play cricket. It takes 3 to 4 hours to travel every day. This league will give them the opportunity to showcase their talent. They dream about playing for Mumbai and this league will give them that platform to fulfil their dreams.”

Coming from someone born and nurtured in this very city, and to have faced hardships to get to where he is now, these are some big words.

T20 Mumbai will kick-start on March 11, where developing cricketers from the city would get a chance to rub shoulders with the experienced names of the sport.