Telangana T20 League: HCA launches a Twenty20 league for Telangana players

Hyderabad: After the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka cricket bodies, the Hyderabad District Association has jumped on to the local Twenty20 bandwagon and has pledged to take the game to the districts. On Tuesday the HCA launched a Twenty20 league for Telangana players — the G. Venkataswamy Memorial Telangana T20 League that will kick off on Friday. The idea is to provide a platform for talented cricketers in far-flung areas, officials said.

The league has been launched with an initiative to provide a major boost to rural cricketers who lag behind because of improper infrastructure and lack of coaching facilities, according to HCA officials. However, with this initiative, local cricketers will get opportunities to showcase their skills and it will also help to improve the quality of cricket in the state. Visaka Industries is the chief sponsor, having pledged Rs 50 lakh for the event which comprises a two-level tournament in which all the 31 districts team in addition to an extra team from Hyderabad will take part.

As per the format, a total of 52 matches will be played in the first phase. All the players registered with HCA or its District Cricket Association are eligible to participate in the League. However, players must be between 15 and 28 years of age. Each side can have 14 players in Phase-1 and 18 for Phase-2. Phase-2 will be a ten-team affair consisting of old combined districts. This format will see 48 matches where teams will compete on a round-robin basis. Later, top four teams will compete in the knockout format from the semifinals. Standard points system of two for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss applies.