Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 24 (ANI): Indian tennis icon Leander Paes has acquired a team from Kolkata, which will compete in the upcoming season five of the Tennis Premier League (TPL). They will compete against the likes of the Pune Jaguars, co-owned by Sonali Bendre, Hyderabad Strikers, co-owned by Rakul Preet Singh, Bengaluru Spartans whose ambassador is Sania Mirza and Punjab Tigers, co-owned by Taapsee Pannu.

All games of the revolutionary Tennis Premier League will be played in the Balewadi Stadium in Pune in association with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), as per a press release from TPL.

Yatin Gupte, who is the chairman of Wardwizard Group and is the co-owner along with Paes, said, "In terms of recognition and popularity, TPL is the premier competition of Tennis in India, the level of competition in the league is fantastic. That prompted us to invest in a team that will take on other competitive teams in the tournament and we are excited to be part of such a wonderful tournament."Speaking on why it made sense for him to come on board as the co-owner of the franchise, Paes, said "I am glad to be the face and co-owner of the team as Kolkata is my hometown, it is where I have some of my fondest memories from. The South Club in Kolkata is the most iconic tennis venue in the country that has hosted the most number of Davis Cup matches in India and has even produced legendary Indian tennis players such as Jaidip Mukerjea and Zeeshan Ali to name a few. I am sure that the presence of a team from Bengal will make season 5 of the Tennis Premier League even bigger than the previous editions." (ANI)