Guwahati, July 22 -- Former Indian Premier League (IPL) pacer Abu Nechim of the Guwahati Royals has called the Assam Premier League (APL) a vital platform for the state's next generation of cricketers, saying the league gives emerging players a professional stage alongside established names and the visibility that comes with it.

According to a release, speaking at the APL player auction, Nechim said, "The Assam Premier League is very important, it is a genuinely good platform for our juniors. We had over 270 players in the auction, and I had knowledge of only about 120 of them."

"That tells you the sheer depth of undiscovered talent across Assam. The league gives every one of those players a stage to be seen," he added.

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