Mumbai:
Tushar Deshpande will spearhead Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals in the T20 Mumbai League Season 3, after being picked as the Icon Player at the auction held on Friday at the MCA, Wankhede Stadium. The 29-year-old speedster, who represents Mumbai in first-class cricket and has featured regularly in India’s top domestic T20 League, will be bringing his scintillating pace and high-intensity bowling to the franchise’s squad as they make their league debut, according to a release from Maratha Royals.
MSC Maratha Royals have roped in pacer Tushar Deshpande as their icon player for T20 Mumbai League.
📷 MSC Maratha Royals #MSCMarathaRoyals #TusharDeshpande #T20MumbaiLeague pic.twitter.com/Is6x6FHVQt
— Field Vision (@FieldVisionIND) May 3, 2025
Deshpande’s arrival leaves the Royals with a purse of INR 85 lakh to spend in the T20 Mumbai League player auction on May 7.
Tushar Deshpande’s reaction on joining Maratha Royals:
On joining Maratha Royals, Tushar Deshpande said, “I’m really happy to be part of this new franchise. It’s always exciting to start something fresh, especially with a team that’s so closely tied to Mumbai’s cricketing roots. I have lived in Mumbai all my life, I took my first steps in cricket in Shivaji Park. As a proud Maratha, I resonate with the Royals’ vision, and I’m looking forward to helping shape that, both on the field and in the dressing room,” as quoted from a release by Maratha Royals.
Maratha Royals will represent South-Central Mumbai–a region that includes Mahalakshmi, Tardeo, Byculla, Parel, Worli, Prabhadevi, and Sewri–with Shivaji Park at its centre. The heartbeat of Mumbai cricket, Shivaji Park has been the cradle of some of India’s finest cricketers, pumping talent through the city’s sporting arteries for decades. The franchise aims to build on that rich legacy, now with Deshpande at the vanguard.