Bengaluru: The third edition of Maharaja Trophy T20 Cricket Tournament, conducted by Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), will be held between Aug. 15 and Sept. 1 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Legendary Cricketer E.A.S. Prasanna unveiled the trophy in the presence of KSCA Hon. President Raghuram Bhat, Vice-President and Maharaja Trophy Commissioner B.K. Sampath Kumar, KSCA Joint Secretary Shavir Tharapore.

The tournament will see the defending champions, Hubli Tigers and last year’s runners-up Mysuru Warriors battling it out alongside the Gulbarga Mystics,  Bengaluru Blasters, Mangaluru Dragons Shivamogga Lions.

Maharaja Trophy will feature Karnataka’s finest players including Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Manish Pandey, Vyshakh Vijaykumar, Krishnappa Gowtham and Vidwath Kaverappa.  Continuing the format introduced last year, the tournament will held in the franchise-based model for the 2024 season. To ensure continuity, franchises will be granted the opportunity to retain players from their previous squad. Following the retentions, a player auction will be held ahead of the competition featuring a pool of over 700 talented cricketers vying for a coveted spot on a Maharaja Trophy franchise.

Expressing his excitement ahead of the tournament, E.A.S Prasanna said, “It is wonderful to be here to unveil the Maharaja Trophy. KSCA has provided a platform for aspiring cricketers and this can be a stepping stone for them to make their way to the IPL and maybe even the Indian team. I am really looking forward to their performances.”

Mysuru Warriors Team Manager M.R. Suresh, Bengaluru Blasters owner Mohan Raju, Hubli Tigers Owner Shivek Jindal, Shivamogga Lions Owner R. Kumar, Mangaluru Dragons Senior Manager Preeti Sri Jain and Gulbarga Mystics Owner Syed Mohammad Ali Hussaini, KSCA Managing Committee Members and others were present.

Live broadcast of Maharaja Trophy will be available on Star Sports 2, Star Sports Kannada and FanCode.