A three-day cricket selection camp kicked off at Birsa Agricultural University grounds in Kanke, Ranchi, on Friday for the upcoming Indian Junior Players League (IJPL) T20.
Organised by Grace India Sports and Fitness World, the special camps are being organised in 22 cities across the country. Boys between 13 and 18 years are eligible to take part.
A total of 16 teams - Ranchi Boosters, Delhi Dashers, Haryana Hurricanes, UP Heroes, Punjab Tigers, Dehradun Rockers, Rajasthan Roarers, MP Warriors, Assam Rangers, Kolkata Strikers, Gujarat Greats, Mumbai Masters, Pune Panthers, Hyderabad Hawks, Chennai Champs and Bangalore Stars - will be formed for the league.
The matches will be played with a pink ball and are tentatively scheduled for January next year.
Ace cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed the brand ambassador while other international stars like former South African all-rounder Jonty Rhodes and Kieron Pollard from West Indies, Indian cricketers Rishi Dhawan and Paras Dogra have been roped in as mentors.
Dogra, a member of IPL team Gujarat Lions, will also mentor Ranchi Boosters. He interacted with the players and gave them tips to improve their game.
"This is for the first time a tournament of this stature is being organised for junior cricketers. The IJPL T20 is an ideal platform for them to interact with their role models and learn the finer nuances of the game," Dogra said.
Dinesh Kapoor, managing director of Grace India Sports, said each player would take part in the trial and the best among them would be selected for the team.
"We have instituted an anti-corruption committee, headed by senior retired personnel from police, to ensure zero bias in the selection process. Identity of the selectors will not be disclosed. Performance of the players is the only criteria for selection and all registered candidates will be treated equally," he added.
Jawahar Gupta, director of Grace India, said all the teams would be flown in to Mumbai for a 20-day play-off.
"Other cities where the selection camps will be conducted are Ambala, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Dehradun, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Bhopal, Indore, Guwahati, Calcutta, Baroda, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bangalore," Gupta said.
Wushu meet
Jharkhand Wushu Association will hold the 25th Senior National Wushu Championship at the mega sports complex in Hotwar from January 25-30 next year. A total of 36 teams will take part. Around 1,100 players and 100 technical officials will arrive. The last national championship was held in Chandigarh.
