~Inspired by the Guru-Shishya Parampara, the teaser traces the enduring journey of knowledge, discipline and mentorship from ancient tradition to the modern cricket field.
Mumbai, Delhi, 16 September 2026: Super Cricket League (SCL60), the world’s first hybrid cricket league uniting aspiring amateur cricketers and cricket legends, has unveiled the teaser for Gurukul, its flagship cricket reality show and talent development programme. The programme brings together 180 emerging cricketers: 108 men and 72 women, for an 11-day residential programme under four Gurus. Gurukul received more than five lakh applications, with open trials conducted across 23 cities before the final cohort was selected.
Built around the Guru-Shishya relationship, Gurukul takes a tradition already deeply rooted in cricket and brings it closer to the grassroots. Emerging players train under accomplished Gurus and compete in cricket-based tasks designed to test their skills, decision-making and ability to perform under pressure. B.K. Robin Menon, among India’s most respected cricket coaches, was the first of the four Gurus named to the programme. Gurukul is the intellectual property of Sportons Media Pvt. Ltd and developed by Chiranjeev Studios.
Chiranjeev Dubey, Founder, Chiranjeev Studios and the showrunner of Gurukul, said:
“In cricket, training is everywhere. What is harder to create is the discipline to learn, the focus to absorb that learning and an environment where a player can give themselves completely to the process. The Guru-Shishya tradition has always placed a strong emphasis on discipline, focus and the relationship between the Guru and the student.
That is the principle we wanted to bring into cricket through Gurukul.
Gurukul is our attempt to create that environment. We are bringing together 180 players from different backgrounds and placing them under four Gurus, taking them away from their everyday routines and giving them the space to focus completely on their development; as cricketers and as individuals. In that sense, Gurukul is also a social experiment: what happens when talented players are given sustained mentorship, discipline and complete focus on the process of learning? The ambition is to take an ordinary cricketer and give them the environment to become extraordinary. The journey continues beyond Gurukul. In December, these players will step onto the SCL60 league stage and share the field with cricket legends. That will be the next test of what they have learnt, how they have grown and what they can bring to the game.”
The teaser was conceptualised, directed and voiced by Chiranjeev Dubey, with VFX and editing by Aryan Rounak Avinash, and background music by Rex Labs.
The teaser traces the Guru-Shishya tradition across the four Yugas, opening on Bharat as a land illuminated by knowledge and drawing on traditional accounts of gurus and shishyas. The film uses them to establish knowledge, discipline and values moving from one generation to the next.
Using generative AI as part of its visual treatment, the teaser moves across different eras to depict the continuing relationship between Gurus and Shishyas, before arriving at the contemporary cricket field where the 180 selected players will begin their own learning journey under four Gurus.
Swapnil Kulkarni, Director of the Gurukul series, said:
“When I first came on board to develop the visual world for Gurukul, what stood out to me was the depth of the concept. At its core, Gurukul is about the relationship between a teacher and a student, and how knowledge, discipline, values and experience are passed from one generation to the next. Bringing that idea into the world of contemporary cricket gives us a very interesting creative space to explore.
“What drew me to Gurukul was the idea that every player carries a story of someone who taught them, challenged them or inspired them. We wanted the visual language of the show to reflect that journey, from the wisdom of the past to the ambition of a new generation. The teaser was our first opportunity to establish that world and make the Guru-Shishya relationship feel cinematic, contemporary and rooted in Bharat.” he added.
Cricket is played by an estimated 30 million registered players globally, compared with around 4,200 professional cricketers, according to World Population Review. In India, cricket scoring platform CricHeroes recorded more than 1.23 crore active grassroots players in 2025, highlighting the scale of participation beyond the professional game. Gurukul responds to this wider pool of emerging talent by bringing players together for structured mentorship, training and competition.
The programme comes at a time when grassroots participation and talent development are receiving greater attention across Bharat’s sporting ecosystem, with initiatives such as Khelo India strengthening the focus on nurturing sporting talent at the grassroots level. Gurukul brings that conversation into cricket through a format centred on mentorship and competitive development.
With 72 women among the 180 selected players, Gurukul also reflects the growing participation and visibility of women in cricket. The programme brings men and women into the same learning environment, with both cohorts training and competing under the four Gurus.
For SCL60, Gurukul expands its cricket storytelling beyond the match itself, bringing together talent discovery, mentorship and competition in an innovative cricket format built around the journeys of emerging cricketers. The approach sits within a wider moment for India’s creative economy, as the country positions itself as a global centre for content and storytelling.
The Gurukul teaser is available on SCL60’s official YouTube and Instagram channels.
Streaming, broadcast and brand partnerships for the series are currently under discussion, with details to be announced closer to the premiere.
About SCL60
SCL60 is the world’s first hybrid cricket league, bringing amateurs and cricket legends onto the same platform. The league combines talent discovery, mentorship, competition, and storytelling to create a unique cricketing ecosystem. Through initiatives such as The Gurukul, SCL60 is building a structured pathway that enables aspiring cricketers to progress from grassroots participation to professional league cricket.
About the Gurukul
The Gurukul is SCL60’s flagship talent identification and development property and the entry point into the SCL60 ecosystem. Players are discovered through free, open trials across 23 physical and digital locations, selected for the Gurukul residential programme, trained and assessed by four expert Gurus over nine days, and the strongest performers are selected by a Jury and Grand Master to play in the SCL60 league alongside cricket legends.
MEDIA CONTACT
Srishti Vatsa | 9867044794
DATA SOURCES
Grassroots participation figures (2025): CricHeroes — The landscape of grassroots cricket 2025
Global registered and professional player counts: World Population Review — Cricket Countries
Women’s cricket following and WPL viewership: YouGov — Women’s cricket takes centre stage in India
