Sachin Tendulkar named his top picks for ISPL season 2

Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has praised the growing standard of competition in the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL), highlighting three players who, in his view, stood out during Season 2. “I thought the quality of cricket played in the first two seasons was tremendous. In fact, there was a significant difference in the second season — it got better,” said Tendulkar, reflecting on the league’s progress. The former India captain and ISPL core committee member named Abhishek Kumar Dalhor, Sagar Ali, and Vijay Pawle as the standout performers of the season, praising their consistency and impact across the tournament. For Tendulkar, Abhishek Kumar Dalhor’s rise was particularly encouraging.

In the Season 2 final against Srinagar Ke Veer, Abhishek Kumar delivered a crucial spell, taking 2 key wickets, helping Majhi Mumbai clinch the trophy.

“If I have to name players who stood out, I would say Abhishek Dalhor was there. Something which I feel excited about is that Abhishek Dalhor was invited to KKR for IPL net bowling. So, it (ISPL) can create that pathway to playing cricket with season ball,” Tendulkar said, stressing the importance of the platform in providing opportunities beyond tennis-ball cricket. Dalhor, who represented Majhi Mumbai, played a vital role in their title-winning campaign, taking 24 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 7.21. His match-winning spells throughout the season earned him the Best Bowler of the Tournament award. Tendulkar also praised Sagar Ali of Srinagar Ke Veer for his remarkable batting consistency. “Sagar Ali was another one who stood out. Every match that he played last year, he scored runs. It’s almost an unbelievable performance because the game is so fast. It’s a shorter format of the game,” he said.

Sagar Ali played a crucial role in Srinagar Ke Veer’s runners-up finish in the Season 2

Ali, who guided his team to a runners-up finish, amassed 493 runs in 13 innings at an average of 61.63 and was named Man of the Series for his contribution.

The third player on Tendulkar’s list was Majhi Mumbai captain Vijay Pawle, who led from the front with crucial all-round performances.

Vijay Pawle captained Majhi Mumbai to the ISPL Season 2 championship, displaying leadership, skill, and composure under pressure.

“The third one was Vijay (Pawle) again with his all-round performance,” Tendulkar noted. Pawle’s leadership and composure under pressure were central to Mumbai’s success, capped by a match-winning knock of 22* off 9 balls in the final. “So, these kinds of role models are there (in ISPL)” Tendulkar added, highlighting how the league continues to discover talent capable of making a mark beyond the tennis-ball circuit.