Seven teams to represent 28 states and 8 Union Territories; smartphone-led talent hunt to discover 140 cricketers and 30 singers, with free-to-air access across Waves OTT and DoordarshanChannels
New Delhi, 08 October 2026: In a first-of-its-kind rural initiative at a national scale, In-Dot Sports Pvt. Ltd. and Prasar Bharati today announced the launch of the Kisan Cricket League (KCL), a nationwide sports and entertainment platform designed to create a unique opportunity through an organized pathway for cricket and singing talent from rural and semi-urban India to reach the global stage.
Built around the vision “Khelega Bharat, Dekhega India,” KCL will conduct India’s largest talent hunt, bringing rural cricketers and singers through a unique matrix of digital auditions, AI-enabled screening, and physical on-ground trials across the length and breadth of the country. KCL content, including live matches, two reality shows, and biographies of successful participants, can be accessed for free and will be made available to national and international audiences through Waves OTT, Doordarshan and Akashvani at zero subscription cost.
The inaugural season for cricket will feature a 15-overs white-ball professional cricket format with 45 live matches, played across seven stadiums in tier 2 & 3 cities across India. The national talent pool selected from across the country will comprise 7 teams, 140 emerging cricketers and 30 singers from a collective talent pool of around lakhs of participants, whose talents will be identified, curated and showcased through the league. Selected singers will perform regional team anthems, feature in music videos and perform during halftime and match-day events.
Sh. Vikram Singh Malik, IAS, Director, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, GoI said, “Prasar Bharati has the widest reach across all parts of the country. Our endeavour is to provide free of cost, diverse content to the common man in number of languages and genres. Our latest offering the ‘WAVES’ OTT has already engaged more than 1.50 crore subscribers and is progressing rapidly.”
“With ‘Kisan Cricket League’ we are hopeful of fulfilling the aspirations of youngsters who dream to become cricketers or singers, particularly from rural India. Our platforms will work as a bridge to bring the young generation into the mainstream. With a giant library of archival content, some of the legendary titles in the entertainment business and our team’s vigour, we look forward to support the astonishing talent that our country possesses and at the same time, provide newer opportunities to the zestful and raring to make a mark, Indian youth,” he added.
Atul Pandey, Founder & CEO, Kisan Cricket League and National Award winning Director said, “Kisan Cricket is more than a cricket league for me. It is a dream I have carried since 2015, shaped by 38 years in the entertainment, media and sports industry. I have lived cricket as an aspiring cricketer, and covered the cricket World Cups of 1996 and 1999. I’ve also told the stories of rural India through Summer 2007, my first film as a producer, which explored farmer suicides and rural plight. One thing has stayed with me through all of this, that rural India has immense talent and ambition, but not everyone gets an opportunity.”
“KCL is my attempt to change that. To give young talent from underserved communities a platform to fulfil dreams, play, compete and be seen. Because this is not just about cricket. It is about giving someone a chance they may never have had. The integration of cricket and singing is designed to create a six month long Indian cultural extravaganza entertaining global audiences. During this journey, KCL will be felicitating the winners and their communities, besides our national heroes,” added Atul.
KCL’s talent identification initiative is designed to reach aspiring cricketers who may not have access to conventional cricket academies, scouting networks or professional sporting ecosystems. Talent discovery will begin through a smartphone-led national search, followed by digital screening and physical trials. Location-based features and QR-code integrations will further enable audience participation, contests, voting and match-day engagement.
Ambika Das, CTO, Kisan Cricket League said, “We are deeply inspired by Digital India, and so technology will play a pivotal role in KCL’s talent discovery and audience engagement initiatives. The KCL Mobile App will act as a digital equalizer by enabling verified registrations, online talent submissions and auditions followed by technology-enabled screening and trials.”
The KCL Team
The KCL leadership team brings deep expertise across sports, media, entertainment, marketing and communications. Vikas Jain, CA, Chief Strategy & Finance, brings 30 years of industry experience, including as CFO of IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab. Vandana Rajkhowa brings 23 years of experience in marketing, digital engagement and customer experience including IPL franchise KKR. Nitasha Narad brings 27 years of experience in media strategy, research and marketing communications with Madison Communications, GroupM and Tata Teleservices.
About Kisan Cricket League (KCL)
Kisan Cricket League is a national sports and talent platform that discovers cricketers and singers from rural India and gives them a professional career path. Built on the idea of “Silicon to Steel,” it combines a smartphone-first selection process with seven teams, annual player contracts, coaching and free-to-air broadcast. All states and Union Territories are represented. KCL’s tagline is “Khelega Bharat, Dekhega India.” The KCL anthem asserts, “Dharti ke Laal Hum Hain, Aur Jai Jawaan Hum Hain, Roti Ugaane Waale, Haan, Jai Kisan Hum Hain”.
About Waves PB
WAVES, an Over-The-Top (OTT) platform by Prasar Bharati, was launched at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), held in Panaji, Goa, on 20th November 2024. WAVES is a testament to Prasar Bharati’s commitment to preserving and showcasing the nation’s rich heritage, while embracing the dynamic demands of today’s digital audience. Services including Video-On-Demand, Audio-On-Demand, Live TV/Radio, Live Events, Free-To-Play Gaming, e-Books, e-Magazines, e-Shopping etc. have been made available to the masses through WAVES. The platform aims to bridge traditional viewership with modern digital consumption by providing access to the vast archives of Doordarshan and Akashvani content, alongside contemporary programming. Its content spans over 80 genres, including classic shows, movies, news, educational content and cultural programming in multiple Indian languages. It is available across various devices, including mobile platforms (Android and iOS), Smart TVs, and streaming sticks, striving to provide accessible entertainment and information to audiences across India and globally. WAVES supports its interface in 10+ languages like Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Punjabi and hosts content in 26+ languages, catering to India’s linguistic diversity and enhancing its global reach.
For more information about Waves PB, visit https://www.wavespb.com/about-us
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