Seven Indian Cricket League players who took up BCCI’s amnesty offer, including Ambati Rayudu and Ali Murtuza, have signed contracts to play for Reliance1 — the corporate’s new cricket team — and according to a team official, are likely to be upgraded to the Mumbai Indians setup next season. Apart from Rayudu and Murtuza, Sarabjeet Singh, Abu Nechim, Pritam Das, Ishan Malhotra, and Rakesh Patel have signed contracts.

“They have been signed up as part of a long-term plan. Players such as Rayudu and Murtuza have done extremely well in the ICL. The basic idea is to build a good bench-strength for the Mumbai Indians,” said the official.

Most of these players have been signed on a one-year contract. The corporate had recently signed the likes of Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Virender Sehwag and Ravindra Jadeja, among others. Left-arm medium-pacer Ali Murtuza said the opportunity had come at the right moment. “We are lucky to get a break. If I do well, you never know I might be playing for Mumbai Indians next year,” said the 19-year-old.