Cricketer S Sreesanth is back in the game, literally, after seven years of ban from cricket for alleged spot-fixing during the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Indian pacer will be taking part in the Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) President’s Cup T20 tournament, which will be held at the SD College Cricket ground in Alappuzha from 17 December 2020 to 3 January 2021. Sreesanth's seven-year ban for alleged spot-fixing ended in August 2020.
In August 2013, Sreesanth and two other teammates of Rajasthan Royals were banned from playing for a lifetime by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for alleged spot-fixing in the IPL season that year. On March 2020, the Supreme Court dismissed the BCCI ban and allowed him to play this year.
The Kerala Cricket Association has sought permission from the Kerala government to conduct the tournament. Twenty-First Century Media Pvt. Ltd (TCM), a premier Sports Marketing company, will be associating with KCA as a partner in the tournament. They have signed an agreement for three years.
KCA committee will select six teams for the tournament. In the 18-day tournament, there will be 33 matches in total.
KCA is planning to conduct the tournament annually hereafter. This year, the tournament will be conducted following all COVID-19 protocols.
The association has informed that prominent players like Sreesanth, Sachin Baby, Basil Thampi, Rohan Prem, Midhun S, Asif KM and other senior state players will be playing in the tournament.
The names of the teams will be KCA Royals, KCA Tigers, KCA Tuskers, KCA Eagles, KCA Panthers and KCA Lions.
KCA claims that the tournament will be a great opportunity for the aspiring cricketers, too.
Sreesanth, who last played for India in 2011 Cricket World Cup, played 27 Tests, 53 ODIs and 10 T20 Internationals. He has taken 169 wickets so far.