SDO Ravi Kumar and Dr. Sunil Khawade inaugurate tournament, thrilling matches mark the opening day

Deoghar: The Late Vardhan Khawade Cricket Championship commenced on Monday at KKN Stadium with great enthusiasm among players and spectators. The tournament was inaugurated jointly by Sadar SDO Ravi Kumar and District Olympic Association President and Organising Committee Chairman Dr. Sunil Khawade. During the ceremony, the guests unveiled the championship trophy, interacted with players and also stepped onto the pitch to encourage participants with a symbolic batting session.
Addressing the gathering, SDO Ravi Kumar said that such tournaments provide an excellent platform for emerging players to showcase their talent and gain confidence. He added that live telecast of the matches would further increase excitement among cricket lovers and help local players gain recognition.
Dr. Sunil Khawade said the main objective behind organising the championship is to promote local sporting talent and create opportunities for young cricketers of Deoghar. He stated that the District Olympic Association has been continuously working for the development of sports and players in the region. He highlighted that all participating players belong to Deoghar and expressed hope that many of them would represent the district, state, nation and even international teams in the future.
According to the organising committee, a total of 12 franchise teams have been divided into two groups. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. Altogether 204 players have been included in the tournament. Three matches will be played daily in the 10-over format, while the final match will be played over 15 overs. The winning team will receive a cash prize of Rs 1.10 lakh, while the runners-up team will get Rs 55,000. All matches are being telecast live on YouTube and other social media platforms. Attractive prizes have also been arranged for spectators.
Among those present during the inauguration were Organising Committee CEO Sanjay Malviya, District Sports Authority Secretary Ashish Jha, Organising Committee President Birendra Singh, Senior Vice President Rishi Raj Singh, Nirmal Kumar, Jogi Tiwari, Naveen Sharma, Neeraj Jha, Pankaj Vajpayee, Rakesh Rai, Ritesh Kesari, Sushil Mahtta, Deepak Dubey, Ajay Khawade, Tuntun Raut, Rohit Pandey, Chand Mani Baliyase, Kishore Yadav and Brahmadev Raut along with several sports enthusiasts. The event was compered by announcer Ashok Kumar.
The opening day witnessed exciting cricketing action. In the first match, Mohanpur Tigers defeated Kailasha Fighters by four wickets. In the second match, Viransh Stylish Eleven registered a 25-run victory over PVR Panthers. The third match between Badshah and Paradise was interrupted by rain and could not be completed, resulting in both teams being awarded one point each.
Khushhal Sheikh and Rishi Kumar officiated as umpires during the matches.