~ The 3rd edition of the competition which is being powered by Rajasthan Royals is being played in Udaipur, where teams from Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha and Gujarat have qualified for the quarterfinals ~
Udaipur, 06 October 2023: The league stages of the 3rd edition of the National Physical Disability T20 Cricket Championship came to a conclusion earlier today with teams from Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha and Gujarat qualifying for the quarter-finals of the biggest cricket tournament of physically disabled cricketers as being recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. Some impressive performances from over 400 talented Divyang cricketers who represented 24 State Physically Disabled cricket teams from across India, were on display during the league stages. While Swapnil Mungel from Maharashtra tops the leaderboard in batting for most runs scored (286 runs in 5 matches at a strike rate of 204.29), Gujarat's Rohan Vaghela, Mumbai's Aakash Patil and Jammu Kashmir's Wasim Iqbal are all tied at the top in bowling with 13 wickets each at the conclusion of the league stage. Tamil Nadu's Shanmugam is leading the charts for the tournament's MVP prize with impressive all-round performances.
IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals had earlier announced the extension of their support to the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) by coming on board as the partners for the competition which kick started on 28th September here in the city. Jammu Kashmir, Maharashtra and Vidarbha remain the only unbeaten teams in the competition with 5 wins out of 5 in their respective groups, but will be expecting fierce competition from the rest in the quarterfinals. While Jammu Kashmir will play Gujarat in their quarterfinal, Maharashtra will be up against Tamil Nadu. Vidarbha are set to play Punjab, with the last quarterfinal featuring Mumbai and Himachal Pradesh.
Termed as the '3rd National Physical Disability T20 Cricket Championship 2023 powered by Rajasthan Royals', the competition is creating history as it is being recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records as the Biggest Cricket Tournament of Physically Disabled Cricketers with participation from over 400 talented Divyang Cricketers who will be representing 24 State Physically Disabled Cricket Teams from across India. The competition is aimed at empowering the Divyang Cricketers who are being given the opportunity to compete with the best players from around the country and showcase their talent, which will further open professional opportunities for them while providing monetary support.
The quarterfinals of the competition will be played later today at the four venues - Field Club Cricket Ground, MBA Cricket Ground, BN University Cricket Ground and NSS Cricket Ground – where entry will be free for all spectators. The semifinals will be played on Saturday, with the eventual finalists clashing on Sunday in the grand finale.
ENDS
Please find attached pictures of all the captains posing with the trophy at the start of the tournament in Udaipur.
About the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI):
Differently Abled Cricket has been played in India for many decades, but there was no common body representing all the forms of Differently Abled Cricket. Under the guidance of Shri Jay Shah, Secy. BCCI, an umbrella body was formed representing all the four Differently-Abled Forms of Cricket played in India i.e. Blind Cricket, Deaf Cricket, Physically Disabled (Standing) Cricket & Wheelchair Cricket. Later, BCCI announced formation of the Differently-Abled Cricket Committee in their 90th Annual General Meeting held at Kolkata on December 4th, 2021 with an aim to set-up a roadmap for conducting and promoting Differently-Abled Cricket in India.
About the Narayan Seva Sansthan:
Narayan Seva Sansthan has been serving the differently abled and underprivileged for the last 38 years. Narayan Seva Sansthan aims at physical, economic and social rehabilitation of the differently abled and underprivileged. Their major efforts are directed towards the corrective surgeries for the differently abled, distribution of artificial limbs, distribution of aids and appliances, mass weddings and skill development for the differently abled. It has organised several events to empower and promote the talent of the differently abled and this time Differently Abled Cricket Council Of India (DCCI) in association with Narayan Seva Sansthan is organising that 3rd National Physical Disability T20 Cricket Championship 2023 powered by Rajasthan Royals from September 28 to October 8, 2023.
About the Rajasthan Royals:
Rajasthan Royals were the champions of the inaugural 2008 season and are one of the 10 teams competing in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise completed a major shareholding restructure in 2021, with Emerging Media having the majority ownership of the franchise with support from new co-investor RedBird Capital Partners.
