Kolkata, Feb 8 (FN Agency) Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) will organise the under-15 Inter-school championship titled – ‘Junior Knights Championship. ‘The tournament is conducted in honour of the Mayor of Kolkata for winning the prestigious Mayor’s Cup and witnesses enthusiastic participation from children across schools in the city. The ‘Junior Knights Championship’ aims to provide a platform for the young and upcoming cricketing talent from Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal to showcase their skills and learn from the best in the world of cricket. This year the tournament will involve participation from 52 school teams, divided into 13 groups, who will play 93 matches across 21 grounds in and around Kolkata.The ‘Junior Knights Championship’ is scheduled to commence in Kolkata on Wednesday and will continue till the end of March 2023.
The inaugural and final match will be held at Eden Gardens,and the winning school team will win the prestigious Mayor’s Cup.In terms of the format, up until the semis, it will be a one-day match with 45 overs for each side, post which semis and finals would be two-day matches with 85 overs for each side. As a new addition to the tournament this year, the ‘Pink Ball’ will be introduced for day and night matches. To encourage the young players, 11-star performers across the tournament will be selected by CAB, who will get the chance to train with Knight Rider’s coaching staff and players at the ‘KKR Academy.’Venky Mysore, CEO of Knight Riders Group, said, “At Knight Riders, we take pride in nurturing cricketing talent at the local level. The Junior Knights Championship is a result of our consistent efforts along with CAB and the Mayor’s office towards providing a premier platform for upcoming cricket players in Kolkata and West Bengal.
The competitive spirit among school children is greatto watch while witnessing the young talents that emerge from these tournaments is priceless. Like always, I look forward to watching a good game of cricket.”Snehasish Ganguly, President, Cricket Association of Bengal, said, “KKR has been with theMayor’s Cup for a few years now and their association has helped the tournaments grow. This isa very important tournament for CAB as it is here that the young talents blossom. We treat thismeet with all seriousness and appreciate KKR’s participation in this meet. “Knight Riders Sports have been involved in contributing towards and developing grassroots cricket for many years now. Initiatives such as the ‘Junior Knights Championship’ encourage youngsters to take up cricket from a young age and provide a vast pool of talent on the local level for the future.