The inaugural edition of the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL) will feature several iconic players who will take cricket enthusiasts on a nostalgia trip. The highly-anticipated tournament will run from February 23 to March 3, and all the matches will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.
Legendary South African batter Herschelle Gibbs, who was known for his stylish batting and electrifying fielding, will be stepping onto the field to lead Red Carpet Delhi in the six-team league.
“Hi everyone, Herschelle Gibbs here and I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be playing in the Indian Veteran Premier League (IVPL). I’ll be representing the Red Carpet Delhi Team and can’t wait to get started and see you all then,” the 49-year-old was quoted as saying by Latestly.
Gibbs will be in the company of former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan, Sri Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera, and South African spinner Imran Tahir, all serving as icon players. Player of the Final in IPL 2012, Manvinder Bisla, is also a part of the squad.
The league is being organized by the Board for Veteran Cricket in India (BVCI) and managed by 100 Sports. Renowned cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Munaf Patel, Suresh Raina, Rajat Bhatia, Chris Gayle, Praveen Kumar, Yusuf Pathan, and many more will be seen in action during the tournament.
VVIP Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Legends, Red Carpet Delhi, Chhattisgarh Warriors, Telangana Tigers, and Mumbai Champions are the six participating teams in the league. The matches will be broadcast live in India on the Eurosport channel, DD Sports, and FanCode.
A look at Herschelle Gibbs’ numbers in international cricket
The right-handed batter made his international debut in October 1996 against Kenya in an ODI. His Test debut came a month later against India. Gibbs made his last international appearance in May 2010 against Pakistan.
He played 90 Tests, 248 ODIs, and 23 T20Is for the Proteas. He scored 6,167 runs at an average of 41.67 in Tests, 8,094 runs at 35.81 in ODIs, and 400 runs at 18.18 in the shortest format of the game.