Bhubaneswar, May 11: Leg Cricket is yet to become a popular sport. But Bargarh boy Chandan Ray, who fell in love with it, is trying his best to promote it.

Captain of the national U-19 side, Chandan feels taking the new sport to more cities in the state will help it grow.

It was 2012 when the youngster first came to know of the sport.

"At an event in our school, a number of new sports were demonstrated. We had to form a team to take part in the first national leg cricket championship. That is how I came to know of the sport. Though I could not take part in the first nationals because of a fitness issue, I made it to the second edition that was organised in Ambala in 2013," said the 18-year old.

Since he put up a stellar performance, he was straightaway chosen as captain for the first Indo-Nepal Leg Cricket Series held at Kathmandu in 2013.

Ever since, he has been busy with many championships and clinics in the sport hosted by Leg Cricket Federation of India or School Sports and Cultural Activities Federation.

At present, Chandan is busy taking part in events in Bargarh to encourage more youngsters to take up the sport. It has already become popular in west Odisha districts and the Odisha Association for Leg Cricket was formed last month in Sambalpur.

Leg Cricket is similar to cricket in many ways but different as well.

The sport is played only in the sub continent (Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka apart from India) as of now. It is played on a circular ground with a radius of between 80 and 120 feet. The pitch is 8 feet wide and 42-48 feet long, depending on age-group or category of the players. It is played between two teams, each with 11 players. When one side is legging the other will be fielding. The bowler rolls down the football-sized ball using under arm action and the legsman needs to hit the ball to score single, double, triple runs by running across the pitch or score a four or a six by kicking the ball out of the boundary line as in cricket. A legsman is declared out if he or she touches the ball twice or kicks with the wrong leg, caught, run out or hit wicket as in cricket. The team, which scores more runs is declared winner.

"It is an action-filled sport and affordable as well. In Maharashtra, it is already recognised by their sports department and we hope this will happen in Odisha as well. The sport needs encouragement of the various sports bodies in the state such as the Odisha Olympics Association," said Chandan.