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28 March 2024

Indian captain Dhoni, Raina to launch 7PL Dubai cricket league

Published
By Parag Deulgaonkar

Corporate sports in the Dubai, which enjoys a very existence, is set to go the next level; at least in terms of cricket.

India cricket captain MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina will officially launch the 7 Premier League in Dubai tomorrow.

The 7 Premier League (The 7PL) aims to be a “mini- recognized” premier league, but will focus on corporates, sources told Emirates 24|7.

The league, which starts in Dubai, will be rolled out to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the UK and Australia, making it seven countries in total.
 



An annual event, winners from each country will take part in the final champions league just like the Indian Premier League format.

The league, as reported by Times of India, will be played between seven teams, each representing the seven UAE emirates.

The teams will have players from seven countries - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the United Kingdom,  Australia and the UAE.

Scheduled to be played from March this year, the matches will first be played in Dubai - both indoors and outdoors at its cricket facility that also houses the World Cricket Academy - while the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final will be played outdoors.

The league will be a collaboration between a leading corporate from the Gulf and Rhiti Sports, a company co-owned by Dhoni's close friend Arun Pandey, which also manages international cricketers.