Young cricketers practise at the Bihar Cricket Association trials at Rajendra Nagar Stadium in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Nov. 21: Budding Sachin Tendulkars and Ishant Sharmas of the state have a reason to rejoice. Bihar will participate in a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recognised under-22 tournament this year almost after a decade.

Associate members of BCCI will clash in the tournament to be held in Chhattisgarh next month. Bihar, Sikkim and Nagaland have been placed in group B. Meghalaya, Chhttisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur will clash in group A.

Lalu Prasad-led Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) got the associate membership of BCCI in 2008.

About 200 budding cricketers from across the state today turned up at the trial being conducted from today for selecting the Bihar team. They appeared upbeat.

“BCA deserves kudos for starting cricket activities in Bihar again. Cricketers like me had lost all hopes of making it big in career,” said Kaushik Raj of Patna.

An off spinner, Raj is hoping to make it to the final squad by impressing the selectors with his tweakers.

Budding opener Arvind Jha said: “The frustration of Bihar cricketers was getting on their nerves. The future, however, appears bright with things moving once again.”

“Twenty-five cricketers will be shortlisted after the trial. The final 14-member squad will be named by a five-member selection committee headed by former Ranji player Devkinandan Das,” Mritunjay Tiwari, a member of the ad hoc committee of BCA told The Telegraph.

Tiwari said the selected cricketers would take part in a special training camp to be organised in Patna from November 24 to 27. Former Ranji players of Bihar, including Amikar Dayal, Tarikur Rahman and Tarun Kumar, would coach them.