The Machhapuchhre Cricket League (MCL) Twenty20 kicks off at the Machhapuchhre Cricket Club grounds in Pokhara on September 25 as the first ever auction-based cricket tournament goes into test in a city obsessed more by football and volleyball.

The six-team tournament incorporates local players from the districts adjoining Pokhara with all the cricketers kept in auction, while the franchises have invested around Rs 200,000 for their respective teams. The auction bid began from Rs 1,000 with maximum bid amount limited to Rs 20,000. Sudeep Poudel of Pokhara was the expensive player sold to Downtown Pokhara Lions for Rs 10,500.

Machhapuchhre Cricket Club (MCC) of Pokhara, Parbat Titans, KKAF Syangja Challengers, VM Warriors Baglung and Informatics College Cheetahs are the other participating teams in the tournament which is jointly organised by MCC and Khukuri Ent. The organisers said it will be a big test for them to taking the tournament into a right direction.

“Pokhara is a place where people don’t have that much interest in cricket. What we saw there in our few previous works as organisers is that there are cricketers around the region who have very keen interest in the game but don’t have a proper platform to perform,” said Binayak Bikram Thapa, Managing Director of Khukuri Ent.  “So, we came up with a tournament to make sure that those interested cricketers get an opportunity to flourish. MCL is not a profit-oriented tournament but it is an event that will help identify talents of the region. There are facilities in Pokhara but not players who can make it to big stage,” added Thapa.

In a tournament that offers a cash purse of Rs 300,000 to the champions, the runners-up will get Rs 150,000 and the best player of the tournament will take home Rs 20,000. The best batsman and bowler will earn Rs 10,000 and every man-of-the-match winner  will pocket Rs 2,000.

After a round of robin league game, the top four teams will make it to the playoffs with the top two teams playing the first Qualifier for a place in the final. The loser of the first Qualifier will have another shot at the final playing the losers of the Eliminator match between the third and fourth placed teams in the second Qualifier. Machhapuchhre Lions will take on VM Warriors Baglung on the inaugural day. The tournament concludes on September 16.