'People giving more importance to fitness': ISPL Head of Selection Committee Pravin Amre on 101-city talent hunt

As the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) works towards the third season, having conducted trials across 101 cities and conducting simulation trials, the scale of the league’s talent search has reached unprecedented heights.

The tennis-ball T10 tournament—set to take place in Surat from January 9 to February 6, 2026, expanded its trials to 101 cities across India, nearly double the footprint from previous season.




With more than 4.4 million player registrations this year, ISPL continues its ambitious mission to discover talent from every corner of the country.


ISPL Head of Selection Committee Pravin Amre described the response as overwhelming.

“We were amazed with the response basically of 44 lakhs applicants. Of that around 60 to 70% was there on the first day. So, more important for us is the interest and I think that drives us,” he said in an interaction with TimesofIndia.com.

The decision to take trials directly to players, to smaller cities and towns, rather than expecting them to travel long distances, was a deliberate step toward accessibility.

“Sometimes it was really challenging for the talented boys to reach there (big cities). So this year… we decided to make sure a selector can go there and reach there. I must give credit to the 32 selectors because they really travelled very hard all over India. 101 is a lot of cities to cover!,” added Amre.

This season’s trials spanned metros like Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, as well as smaller towns such as Rameswaram, Latur and Satna. Amre himself covered the West and North zones, where match simulations also took place.

“Around 250 boys are here right now… around 850 boys are shortlisted. From there we have to get it to the 350… every 650 boys are recorded, their videos are recorded, each and every ball is recorded,” he explained. These detailed recordings will help franchise owners, coaches and selectors evaluate talent before the auction on December 9, which will feature eight teams.

One of the biggest changes Amre has noticed over the past two seasons is the growing importance players place on fitness.

“People are giving importance to fitness… we have also introduced a couple of fitness tests (SET Score). So, the boys are also aware that they have to go to the grind where not only the skill but the fitness will also matter,” he said.

With ISPL expanding squad sizes to 18 players - including two mandatory U-19 players - physical conditioning has become crucial in the high-intensity T10 format.

Amre noted that agility and speed carry significant weight in selection. “When you run also, it's a sprint… that agility also is very critical. Because in this, if you miss a run... like in the IPL, one run matters.”

Yet, while fitness is vital, Amre believes mental strength under pressure often separates good players from exceptional ones. “For any cricket… the skills are very critical. But more importantly, it is all about mental aspect also. Because it is all about how you perform under pressure,” he said.

During the trials, players were tested through 12-ball challenges that simulate high-pressure match situations. “You may be a good player, but if the execution is not there, it is not going to be useful for the team.”

Drawing from his years of scouting experience - including identifying Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL — Amre said the core principle remains constant. “Bottom line is same… I am justifying a talent, an untapped talent… we back our gut feeling. We see that this boy has good potential.”

Amre believes the ISPL platform has already brought about a shift in player mindset. “People used to come just like that… Now, they come more prepared. They do their homework very well. They know like what are expected from the selectors,” he observed. In tense, short-format trials, selectors often look for a single decisive moment. “They have that one good shot… or that one good ball. And I think the selector is looking on that one ability.”

Among the thousands of participants this year, the diversity has been striking. Stories range from an 11-year-old prodigy to a player in his 40s who impressed selectors. Amre sees this as a hallmark of ISPL's inclusivity. “40 and 11, the age is a number… we wanted to make sure like that skill has given a justice rather than the age.”


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