Hyderabad, Jan 9 (IANS): Actor Jiiva has replaced Vishal Krishna Reddy to lead Chennai Rhinos in the fifth edition of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), to begin here Sunday.

Vishal, who captained the side in the last four editions of the tournament, couldn't participate due to his film commitments.

On becoming the new skipper, Jiiva told IANS: "Since Vishal was busy with his film's promotions, I've been asked to take over."

"Even though I've never been part of CCL, I've been playing cricket all these years in some format or the other. Sometimes I end up playing in my 'gully' (lane) or with friends on a ground. I'm passionate about the sport, and that's why I agreed to be part of the team," he said.

Jiiva admits the team will miss Vishal's leadership.

"It was under Vishal that the team won the tournament twice. He's still the right person to lead. The team will definitely miss him," he added.

According to Jiiva, the sport will help actors "strengthen their bond".

His team includes Vishnu Vishal (vice captain), Arya, Bharath, Vikranth, Ramanaa, Shaam, Bose, Charan, Sanjay Bharathy, Prithvi, Udhay kumar, Ashok Selvan and Balaji.