IPL quicks give maximum boost to new T20 competition

Queensland's new KFC T20 Max series has lured a pair of Indian Premier League players for its inaugural tournament, beginning next month in Brisbane.

Left-arm pacemen Chetan Sakariya (Delhi Capitals) and Mukesh Choudhary (Chennai Super Kings) will spend time in Brisbane as part of an exchange with the renowned MRF Pace Foundation.

The duo will test their wares in the T20 Max competition, which runs from August 18 – September 4, and also train at the National Cricket Centre while joining in with the Queensland Bulls' pre-season preparations.

Sakariya, 24, is a particular coup for the tournament, having made his ODI and T20I debuts last year for India against Sri Lanka.

He will play for the Sunshine Coast while Choudhary will play for Wynnum-Manly.

Player and coaching exchanges between the MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia have been in place for almost 20 years, with the two Indian players marking the resumption of the relationship that was paused due to COVID.

The initial Australians who attended the first exchange in 1992 were Glenn McGrath and Paul Wilson, when the great Dennis Lillee was head coach. McGrath subsequently took over as head coach following the end of his illustrious bowling career.

Elsewhere in the competition, a trio of Papua New Guinea internationals, fresh from making the semi-finals of the ICC World T20 qualifiers in Zimbabwe this month, will link with Sandgate-Redcliffe.

Norman Vanua, Chad Soper and Charles Amini Jnr are all regulars for the Barramundis, who finished third at the World Cup qualifiers, with Soper taking 3-11 to help defeat the USA in their play-off.

Amini, a third-generation PNG representative, is a leg-spinning allrounder, while Vanua and Soper are both right-arm pace bowlers.

The influx of players into the KFC T20 Max also features more than a dozen current or recent KFC Big Bash League contracted players as well as regional and country representatives and other interstate recruits.

Each Premier club can sign three interstate or international recruits, as well as regional players to complement their existing teams, with contracted Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat players available for selection.

Matches will be played at Premier club grounds and under lights at the newly redeveloped Allan Border Field.

The Heat will keep open two contract spots on its 2022-23 list to provide opportunities for players who impress to potentially join the BBL club.

Among the recruits for the KFC T20 Max competition announced to date are current or recent BBL contracted players such as Jordan Silk, Nick Bertus (Sydney Sixers), Beau Webster, Nick Larkin, Clint Hinchliffe (Melbourne Stars), Cameron Boyce, Josh Lalor (Melbourne Renegades), Ben Cutting, Arjun Nair (Sydney Thunder), Liam Guthrie, Jake Lehmann, Nathan McSweeney (Brisbane Heat), Nick Hobson, Chris Sabburg (Perth Scorchers), Ryan Gibson and Spencer Johnson (Adelaide Strikers).