The Jharkhand Cricket League (JCL) 2024 is a four- day tennis ball cricket tournament which kicked off in the City on May 21 and the final match is scheduled for May 24. With 12 teams vying for the trophy, all matches are being played at the Mecon Stadium from 9 am to 5:45 pm.
JCL 2024 Season 1 is a premium cricket tournament which is aimed to bring together cricketing talent from across the State to compete for the title. The league offers a platform to both seasoned players and emerging talent with an opportunity to hone their talent and showcase their skills. The prize money for the winning team is Rs 5 lakh while the first runner up team will be awarded Rs 3 lakh.
The main organisers for the JCL 2024 are Md. Irshad Hussain, Shabbir Hussain, Irfan Ahmed and Md. Shahid.
“I have been a tennis ball cricketer myself and in my personal experience I never got an opportunity to showcase my talent in Ranchi and Jharkhand. The main idea to organise this tournament was that we wanted to provide a platform for tennis ball cricket players in Jharkhand and also so that the upcoming generations are motivated towards the sport. This is the first time this tournament is being organised and we plan to make this an annual sporting event,” said the organizer Md. Irshad Hussain.
The twelve teams competing for the prize are namely Jamshedpur Kings, Garhwa Sixers, Ramgarh SuperGiants, Khunti Blasters, Dumka Capitals, Dhanbad Heat, Pakur Thunders, Ranchi Royals, Palamu Stars, Bokaro Challengers, Gumla Titans and Chaibasa Strikers.
A total of 180 cricketers will be participating in the league. Players for all the teams were selected at an auction ceremony on May 17 at Hotel Raso, Birsa Chowk in the City where team owners strategize to assemble their quads. Each team has 11 playing players and four reserve players. For the tournament, 36 iconic players were selected on the basis of a trial out of which each team had to select three- one batsman, one bowler and one all- rounder. Each match is of eight overs.
A total of 15 matches will be played at the Mexon Stadium. The matches are also being broadcasted on the popular platform 7070 sports official YouTube channel. Cricket fans can also enjoy the matches at the venue free of cost.