The Madhya Pradesh T20 League stayed true to its objective of unearthing fresh talent as the 12-day event in Gwalior showcased promising players rising through the ranks.
The tournament, which had already paved the way for Aniket Verma and Madhav Tiwari to get an Indian Premier League (IPL) contract, offered a glimpse into the State’s growing cricketing depth.
ALSO READ | MPT20 League chairperson: ‘We want to make Madhya Pradesh the hub of Indian cricket’
A total of eight players who featured in MPLT20 2024 went on to play in IPL 2025: Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, Aniket, Madhav, Arshad Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Kulwant Khejroliya, and Kumar Kartikeya Singh. Avesh Khan, too, played the IPL but didn’t participate in MPL’s previous season.
Fresh off their IPL debuts, Aniket and Madhav—under the leadership of Arshad—played key roles in Bhopal Leopards’ title-winning run. Aniket chipped in with vital runs and pulled off a game-turning boundary catch in the final against Chambal Ghariyals, while Tiwari smashed a 31-ball 65 in the semifinal to take Bhopal into the title clash. Arshad, too, led from the front, delivering high-quality spells throughout the tournament, including a crucial 19th over in the final.
Structural Changes
Beyond the performances, the league also saw significant off-field changes this season.
The 2025 edition introduced two new franchises and launched a Player Development Program (PDP), aiming to tap into talent from the State’s interiors.
The league expanded to seven teams from the five original teams in 2024: Gwalior Cheetahs, Rewa Jaguars, Malwa Panthers, Bhopal Leopards, and Jabalpur Lions. While Chambal Ghariyals and Bundelkhand Bulls were added, Indore Pink Panthers replaced Malwa Panthers.
ALSO READ | Ritik Tada, standout performer at MP T20 League who idolises Pandya and Kohli, impresses IPL scout
As part of the PDP initiative, each team was allocated two slots for unregistered players, giving local talent a chance to break through. In total, 12 players were selected (Jabalpur’s selection process remained incomplete), though only one — Sidhaant Agarwal — made it to the Playing XI. He featured in two matches for Indore, picking up three wickets.
The league continued with its draft-based squad selection, classifying players into five categories based on experience:
- Icon Players – Represented India or played in the IPL
- Grade A – Played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and senior matches for Madhya Pradesh
- Grade B – Featured in BCCI age-group tournaments in the last three years
- Grade C – Played division-level cricket in the last two years
- Grade D – Selected via the Player Development Program
Sportstar understands that player salaries will depend on sponsorship earnings and are yet to be finalised for this season. However, the overall salary pool has been increased from the inaugural edition in 2024.
Ahead of the tournament, the league named nine icon players: Patidar, Avesh, Madhav, Arshad, Kuldeep, Khejroliya, Kartikeya Singh, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, and Venkatesh.
However, injuries impacted participation. Patidar and Avesh withdrew ahead of the season. Patidar, though, attended his team’s, Gwalior Cheetahs, opener in support. Venkatesh featured in two games for Indore before pulling out due to injury.
Learning curve
The absence of key icon players did affect the overall quality of matches, with fielding and catching emerging as notable areas of concern. On average, three catches were dropped per innings, alongside frequent lapses in ground fielding.
Anand Rajan, head coach of Jabalpur Royal Lions, acknowledged the issue, calling it a part of the learning curve.
“There’s pressure for any player, not just a grassroots player,” Rajan said. “It’s coming live, everyone is watching. It’s important to cope with that pressure and perform at your best. Awareness is important. We, as coaches, need to give them the required inputs. At the end of the day, it’s about the implementation.”
ALSO READ | Tripuresh, a wrong-footed menace and death-over specialist, believes in the mantra of backing one’s instincts
According to former India international Amay Khurasiya, who has been involved in coaching with the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association for the last 11 years, players need to be more disciplined with their work ethic.
“Going forward, they need to do a lot of hard work and show commitment. If you are disciplined and committed, success never beats you. There are areas they need to work on. It has to be the long journey – longevity makes a player. It requires an immense number of habits, and habit comes from discipline. You need to bring in lots of discipline.”
Players to watch out for
Despite eight of the 24 matches being affected by rain, players had enough opportunities to showcase their skills in front of Madhya Pradesh selectors and IPL scouts. The league saw three centuries and as many 90-plus scores being registered.
While Tripuresh Singh and left-arm pacer Mangesh Yadav’s bowling got the scouts to take notes, the batters left a stronger impression overall. Abhishek Pathak, Ritik Tada, Prithviraj Singh Tomar, and Akshat Raghuvanshi drew the most praise from those watching from the President Box at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium.