New Delhi, Jun 9 (IANS): India's Elite Pro Basketball League has announced its first round of key player signings for the 12 participating franchises, the league announced on Thursday.

The key signings include Indian national team players like Jagdeep Bains (Mumbai Stars), Pratham Singh (Pune Pythons) Prakash Mishra (Jaipur Giants). Other players include Basil Philip (Kochi Pachers), Vinay Kaushik (Chandigarh Conquerors), actor Arvind Krishna (Hyderabad Hoops), Ram Gopal (Lucknow Swarm), Ravikumar (Chennai Turbos), Rachit Singh (Punjab Gladiators), Karan Pal Singh (Ahmedabad Aces), Arshdeep Singh (Delhi Dominators) and Visu Palani (Bengaluru Stallions).

An excited Jagdeep Singh Bains, an Indian professional basketball player and a marquee player for Mumbai Stars said, "I am super excited to be a part of India's first and only pro Basketball league Elite Pro Basketball League. This will give a platform to grow the sport in India which is much required."

Pratam Singh who also represents India and a marquee player for Pune Pythons said, "Elite Pro Basketball League is the need of the hour. They are not only promoting the sport but also athlete-friendly and are giving the best remuneration for players in India. This will boost the sport in India and encourage younger players to take up the sport."

"When we approached these players they were immediately sold on the idea of the league and thought this would be a great platform to promote the sport in India," CEO of Elite Pro Basketball Sunny Bhandarkar said.

"The shelf life of professional athletes, especially in our country remains very limited. We are keen to provide new opportunities to proven Indian team stars, and EPBL will be a financially rewarding second innings for them. EPBL is committed to elongating players' careers through enhanced incentives and high visibility across platforms," he added.