Stage set for Mahindra SLPL Finalé

After 24 exciting matches, the Mahindra Sri Lanka Premier League is finally drawing to a close at the R. Premadasa International Stadium today. The tournament, which kicked off on the 10th of August with the grand opening ceremony at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium, provided the cricket-loving public of Sri Lanka an opportunity to watch the young stars of the country play alongside a number of international cricketing icons.

The Nagenahira Nagas, led by current Sri Lankan Vice-Captain Angelo Matthews, will face Uva Next, which is led by Thilina Kandamby, in the last match of the tournament. Both teams have performed exceptionally throughout the league, with a number of young stars rising up through the ranks.

Nishantha Ranatunga, the Secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket, added, “This tournament is very important to the future of Sri Lanka’s cricket arena, as it brought in a number of international stars to the country and provided a great learning experience for our cricketers, which helped them take their game to the next level. This was also a perfect set-up for us to prepare for the World Cup T-20; and we believe that this will give us the opportunity to win a tournament of this nature.”

Sandiip Bhammer, the Chairman of Somerset Entertainment Ventures, commented, “After 21 days of cricket, and months of planning, the final of the inaugural Mahindra SLPL will come to life in Colombo today. We believe that this tournament has revolutionised the domestic cricket circuit in Sri Lanka by giving the young local cricketers a chance to showcase their talents at the highest level.  The interest shown in this tournament across the world is a testament to its success, and we believe that this is just a stepping-stone to making the Mahindra SLPL a marquee event on the international cricketing calendar.”

The Mahindra SLPL was broadcast live in 80 countries via Sporty Solutionz, while ESPN broadcasted the competition in UK, Ireland, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. The tournament was also live-streamed via YouTube, and garnered over 420,000 views. The tournament was also promoted via popular social media sites, and had a total of over 30,000 fans on Facebook. In addition, the franchises involved have also now created their own fan-bases with cricketing fans from across the country coming in to see the matches and support their provinces.

R. R. Shukla, the President of Group Strategy and Chief Brand Officer of the Mahindra Group, spoke about why an investment in the SLPL was made, saying, “Sri Lanka is a very strategic and important market for the Mahindra Group. We already have our Auto and Tractor businesses established and growing here, and a few other businesses have lined-up entry plans as well. This makes brand building crucial – and what better vehicle to reach people and build brand awareness than with cricket! People in Sri Lanka are passionate about cricket and we are confident that they will support this league. Secondly, we think the philosophy of the Mahindra SLPL league – of identifying and developing sports and sportspersons from grassroots levels – ties in very closely with our brand purpose of ‘enabling people to RISE’.”

The tournament has also seen the exceptional rise of young stars, with Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Munaweera and Shaminda Eranga leading the charge. In addition, the Mahindra SLPL has received the whole-hearted endorsement from many cricketers from across the world, including Sohail Tanvir, Jacob Oram, Misbah Ul-Haq and many more. Brian Lara, who was the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony, also noted that this will improve the cricketing circuit of Sri Lanka significantly.

In addition to the much-needed cricketing boost, the tournament also generated revenue for the country through accommodation and other dependent industries. Over 7000 room nights were occupied over this period and boosted the tourism industry in the country. Sandiip Bhammer also added, “The tournament had a number of additional benefits such as revenue brought in through hotel stays, transport, club rentals and more. We believe that this impact goes beyond the cricketing arena, as the free media generated through the broadcasting of the tournament will add to the Sri Lankan brand.”

The final, which will be played between the Nagenahira Nagas and Uva Next will commence at the R. Premadasa Stadium at 8pm (the remaining tickets will be available at Sri Lanka Cricket and at the stadium).