Hero CPL goes virtual with launch of new Esports gaming series 

(SPORTS MAX) The Hero Caribbean Premier League will be launching an exciting new content series, the Hero CPL Esports League, featuring professional cricketers from around the world playing Cricket 19, the leading cricket console game.

This is the first time a T20 franchise tournament has had an Esports competition with the cricketers representing their franchise as the Hero CPL continues to push the boundaries of engagement with their fans.

Released next week, this fun and engaging series will bring the reality of T20 cricket, but with a big difference – the players will be controlling virtual versions of themselves and instead of just having their own game to worry about they are in charge of all of their teammates.

“The Hero CPL is always looking to engage fans in different ways and this is another example of us innovating. This series is another first for a tournament that prides itself on being at the cutting edge of entertainment and we are very excited about seeing the reaction from our fans as they see these CPL stars show off their competitive skills in a virtual tournament,” said Hero CPL COO Pete Russell.

The players taking part are Colin Munro playing as the Trinbago Knight Riders, Mitchell Santner representing Barbados Tridents, Andre Fletcher and Kesrick Williams playing as St Lucia Zouks, Sheldon Cottrell and Ish Sodhi representing St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Nicholas Pooran and Ashmead Nedd representing the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Glenn Phillips and Ryan Persaud representing Jamaica Tallawahs. At the end of the competition, an individual champion is crowned as the first winner of the virtual Hero CPL.

“It is really exciting to be involved in this new competition and it didn’t take long for my competitive instincts to kick in. One of the great things about the CPL is that they are always trying something new and it was great to be involved in the first franchise Esports League,” Munro said.

This series will give Hero CPL fans and gamers alike the opportunity to get behind their favourite players and teams once again as they take on their rivals in this groundbreaking gaming format. They will be able to see and hear the passion these players have when they are competing, with a controller in their hands rather than a bat and ball.

The shows are hosted by Gautam Bhimani and Alex Jordan who bring you all the action during this hard-fought tournament.

This content series is being supported by Hero MotoCorp Limited (HMCL), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, who have been the title sponsors of the Hero Caribbean Premier League since 2015. Hero has long been a key partner of marquee sporting events – including cricket, soccer, field hockey and golf – in India and across the globe and this partnership sees them also venturing into the ever-growing Esports arena.

Episode one will go live on 2 April 2021 (1 pm GMT, 6:30 pm IST, 9 am ECT) on Hero CPL’s YouTube and Facebook channels and the series will also be shown with selected broadcasters.