Built on runs, not noise: Saif Ali’s ISPL rise from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 23.65 lakh | Cricket News
When Saif Ali strides to the crease in the Indian Street Premier League, there’s a quiet intensity to his game that belies the distance he’s travelled.Hailing from Kashiara village in Bardhaman district, West Bengal, Saif’s journey into professional tennis-ball cricket was hardly scripted for spotlight moments. Yet across 19 ISPL matches, he has amassed 595 runs at a strike rate of 167.13 — numbers that speak to both his adaptability in the fast-paced T10 format and his ability to change the complexion of a game once set at the crease.
Last season was a turning point. Saif’s performances weren’t just productive — they were defining. While his highest individual score sits at 53 in the league so far, he has consistently provided momentum through aggressive batting, finding 31 fours and 47 sixes.It’s this blend of timing and intent that helped him earn the Player of the Series award last year, and significantly increased his value at the Season 3 auction.Sold for Rs 6 lakh in Season 2, Saif’s worth ballooned to Rs 23.65 lakh this season, a leap that reflects both his on-field contributions and the way franchises are now betting on emerging street-cricket talent. “After winning the Man of the Series Award last year, I was very excited for Season 3 and was expecting a good response at the auction,” he said. “I want to use this money to build a bigger house for my family.”His comments underscore something familiar to many grassroots cricketers who make this circuit: the game is never just about runs and records. For Saif, it’s also about opportunity.
Saif Ali went for Rs 23.65 lakh at the ISPL Season 3 Auction. (Instagram)
“ISPL is a life-changing platform for tennis-ball cricketers. The stage it has given us is unbelievable. As tennis-ball cricketers, we would not get this much money otherwise. We never thought this sport would reach this level. ISPL is helping us build careers.”It’s a perspective shaped by experience rather than expectation. With that belief has come a consistent willingness to evolve — whether it’s accelerating an innings with decisive hitting or standing firm when the situation demands steadiness.“I want to try and give my best this season as well and justify the prize and the faith my team has shown in me,” Saif added.That sense of responsibility resonates in his performances and in the confidence franchises place in him. In a league that’s rapidly redefining pathways for street cricketers, Saif Ali’s profile is no longer just a promising story — it’s a statistical landmark on a player shaping his own trajectory, one inning at a time.
