Hyderabad, Feb 10
The Inter-Zonal PD T20 Championship was inaugurated at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, here on Monday, with matches starting soon after the opening ceremony. In the opening match, North Zone defeated South Zone by three wickets.
The opening ceremony witnessed the presence of esteemed dignitaries, including Indian cricketer Tilak Varma, A. Jagan Mohan Rao, President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), John Manoj, former secretary of HCA, Ravikant Chauhan, General Secretary of DCCI, and Surender Kumar Agarwal, President of DACAH.
Tilak Varma interacted with the players, answering their questions and inspiring them with words of encouragement. Jagan Mohan Rao reaffirmed HCA's complete support for the growth of differently-abled cricket and assured continued assistance in the future. This championship marks a milestone in the journey toward inclusivity in cricket, and DACAH remains committed to fostering opportunities for talented physically disabled cricketers across the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Surender Kumar Agarwal, President of DACAH, emphasized the importance of providing a platform for differently-abled cricketers, ensuring their talents receive the recognition they deserve. Ravikant Chauhan expressed his appreciation to Mr. Jagan Mohan Rao for HCA's strong backing and commitment to the development of differently-abled cricket.
In the first match of the event played on Monday, North Zone secured a thrilling 3-wicket victory against South Zone in a high-intensity clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.
South Zone scored 155/7 in 20 overs with Shivashankara contributing a brilliant 64 off 38 balls, hitting four and as many sixes. Wasim Iqbal starred with the ball, claiming 3-16 in his 4 overs.
In reply, North Zone reached 156/7 in 19.3 overs with Nasim Iqbal (31) and Prabhot Singh (27) anchoring the chase. Shivashankara and Sainath Reddy fought hard with the ball but in the end, North Zone chased down the total with three balls to spare.
- IANS