New Delhi [India], February 8 (ANI): Former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and World Cup-winning fast bowler Zaheer Khan energised the Bhartiya Corporate Premiere League (BCPL) Season 4 during the trophy and jerseys unveiling ceremony held at a city convention centre in New Delhi on Sunday.

The league, in its fourth edition, will go international for the first time, featuring 10 teams competing for the top honours.

Addressing the audience on the occasion, Sourav Ganguly said, 'When I met Saurabh Jha, I told him that all of us started our journey in a similar way. In our early days, there was no IPL. I worked with Tata Steel and played a lot of corporate cricket, which gave me valuable exposure and helped me get noticed. BCPL is an excellent platform because cricket is consumed passionately across the country and countless people dream of playing the game at a competitive level. The Bhartiya Cricket Premier League will open doors and create pathways for talented corporate professionals to pursue their dreams and build a career in cricket,' according to a release from BCPL.

Zaheer Khan shared his thoughts at the event, saying, 'BCPL is a fantastic platform for talented corporate professionals to showcase their skills and take the next step in their cricketing journey. Cricket has always been the heartbeat of our country, and in India, talent rarely goes unnoticed. As Dada (Sourav Ganguly) just said, I too was spotted while playing at the grassroots level. I come from a small city myself and always dreamed of playing cricket at the highest level. I truly believe that in the coming years, BCPL will emerge as a strong platform that identifies and nurtures hidden cricketing talent from the corporate community. I would like to congratulate and thank Saurabh Jha for conceptualising and driving such a wonderful initiative.'

Former skipper Ganguly will also serve as a mentor for BCPL Season 4, which, for the first time, will have pan-India representation, expanding beyond its Delhi-NCR player base from the first three seasons.

The left-arm fast bowler, Zaheer Khan, whose 21 wickets in nine matches contributed significantly to India's ICC World Cup victory in 2011, will also serve as Advisor, Technical Committee, BCPL, in addition to serving as the league's Brand Ambassador.

Saurabh Jha, Chairman of Bhartiya Corporate Premiere League (BCPL), said, 'The vision behind BCPL has always been to bridge the gap between corporate cricket and the professional ecosystem. India has immense cricketing talent within the corporate community that often goes unnoticed due to lack of structured opportunities. BCPL aims to provide a credible, competitive platform where such talent can be identified, nurtured and given clear pathways to progress. With the support of legends like Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan, we are committed to taking this league to greater heights in the years to come.'

The league received an overwhelming response during registrations, followed by trials conducted in four stages across 21 cities last year. A total of 300 players have been shortlisted and included in the auction pool, held on the same day as the unveiling ceremony. .(ANI)