The semi-finalists from last year, Chennai Singams, are gunning for the ISPL-2 title. Led by captain Sumeet Dhekale, a hard-hitting left-handed top-order batter from the Nallasopara region in Mumbai, the team is determined to make an impact.
The captain is eager to make amends this season after being dissatisfied with his performance in the previous one. “I didn’t get too many runs in the last ISPL, and I want to compensate for that this time and win the title,” said Dhekale, who owns a sports shop.
The squad also boasts Prashant Gharat, Rahul Sawant, Shubham Sangale, Vedant Mayekar, and the six-hitting machine Ketan Mhatre, completing the lineup of Mumbai boys who have realized their dream of playing in the streets to getting a ticket to the stadium’s 22-yard pitch.
Looking ahead to season 2, captain Sumeet Dhekale credited team co-owner Rajdip Gupta, who he feels inspires the team with his passion for cricket. “What differentiates Singams is their professionalism, and that the team management, led by co-owner Rajdip Gupta, understands the game. They also have a team in the Times Shield A division, Route Mobile, for whom I play as well,” said Dhekale, who participated in the MCA-Mumbai Premier League T20 in both editions.
Mhatre, who lives in Thane, is best remembered for his whirlwind 21-ball 60, including seven consecutive sixes, against Majhi Mumbai in the league stage of ISPL-1. Chasing 150 for victory at the Dadoji Konddev Stadium, Mhatre lifted the Singams from 8-2 with a brutal assault that featured nine sixes in all, bringing up his half-century in just 15 deliveries. Speaking about the league, he said, “We never thought a platform like the ISPL would present itself for tennis ball cricket. It is a life-changer for us players.”
Did You Know
* Currently in Class XII at Thakur College, Kandivali, Shubham Sangale bowled to Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan at the MCA-Bandra Kurla Complex nets. The 18-year-old is touted as one of the stars of the future.
* Chennai Singams’ Rahul Sawant, a 34-year-old left-handed all-rounder from Mumbai, has been playing tennis ball cricket professionally for 16 years now, balancing it with a competitive cricket-ball career, where he represents DY Patil in A division corporate cricket and PG Hindu Gymkhana in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) league.
* Talented teenager Vedant Mayekar is looking forward to his second season with the Singams. A first-year B.Com student at Laxmichand Golwala College in Ghatkopar (E), Mayekar plays Mumbai Cricket Association club cricket in the F division and tennis ball cricket for his locality teams in Chembur.
* The youngest of three siblings, Ketan Mhatre, who works for Navi Mumbai Mahanagar Palika, has been playing tennis ball cricket professionally for a decade now.
* Virar boy Prashant Gharat seamlessly transformed from being a former national-level 400m athlete and a state-level kho kho player into a professional tennis ball cricketer.
* Chennai Singams exercised their Right to Match card for INR 10.10 lakh to retain the services of captain Sumeet Dhekale.
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