Patna: The Bihar government has announced plans to identify promising cricketers and athletes from every village as it intensifies efforts to establish the state’s own Indian Premier League (IPL) team by 2027.
Speaking at a Sports Department programme at Urja Stadium in Patna on Friday, Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said a statewide talent hunt would begin after September 15 to discover sporting talent across Bihar’s villages and panchayats.
“The dream is not limited to cricket. We want to identify talented athletes from every corner of Bihar, encourage them and prepare them to represent the state and the country,” Chaudhary said.
Six-month talent hunt across Bihar
According to the Chief Minister, the campaign will run for around six months. Promising athletes identified during the drive will receive government support and training.
While the initiative is expected to help build a pool of cricketers for Bihar’s proposed IPL ambitions, officials said it will also focus on athletes in other disciplines, with the goal of preparing competitors for events such as the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
Appointment letters under sports scheme
During the event, Chaudhary distributed appointment letters to 19 athletes selected under the state’s ‘Medal Lao, Naukri Pao’ scheme.
Indian cricketers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar were among those who received appointment letters for the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Bihar Police.
The Chief Minister said the government would continue supporting athletes across different sports rather than concentrating only on cricket.
Push for Bihar’s IPL team
Reiterating the government’s ambition, Chaudhary said Bihar should have its own representation in the IPL and expressed hope that the state would field its own franchise in the league by next year.
“We want Bihar to have its own cricket team in the IPL. The government is working in that direction because the progress of Bihar’s children is linked to the progress of the country,” he said.
Demand gains momentum
The demand for an IPL franchise in Bihar has gained attention in recent months. Around two months ago, Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal publicly argued that Bihar deserved its own IPL team, citing the state’s contribution of talented cricketers, including Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Ishan Kishan and Sakib Hussain.
His remarks renewed discussion over Bihar’s long-standing absence from the IPL despite producing several prominent players.
