Patna: The Indradev Rai Memorial Cricket Tournament commenced with great fanfare at the Sanjay Gandhi Stadium (GAC Ground) in Gardanibagh on Thursday, 2 January. Organised under the aegis of Kumar Club, the tournament’s inaugural match saw LBS CC secure a resounding 58-run victory over Blaze CC.
The event was inaugurated by Legislative Councillor Sanjay Singh, former Mayor of Patna Shyam Babu Rai, Bihar Football Association Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain, Takht Harmandir Sahib Vice President Sardar Gurvinder Singh, Ward Councillor Jai Prakash, Shashi Bhushan, and Patna Football Association Secretary Manoj Kumar. The dignitaries collectively released balloons and introduced themselves to the participating players.
On this occasion, several former cricketers, footballers, and badminton players were honoured for their contributions to sports. The welcome address was delivered by Ram Ishwar Prasad, patron of the organising committee, while Organising Secretary Aditya Yogesh expressed his gratitude to the attendees. Convener Ashok Kumar Sinha announced that the next match between Anisabad and Karbighiya would be played on 3 January.
Match Report:
Blaze CC won the toss and elected to field. LBS CC batted first, scoring 166 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs, powered by Yuvraj’s impressive 68 runs and Balaji’s 40 runs. In response, Blaze CC could only manage 108 runs for eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Shaurya Pratap Singh top-scored for Blaze CC with 38 runs.
The standout performance came from Om Prakash of LBS CC, who claimed four wickets for just seven runs. He was named Player of the Match for his exceptional contribution.
Brief Scores:
- LBS CC: 166/5 in 20 overs (Yuvraj 68, Balaji 40, Extras 30; Shivam Akhouri 2/30, Keshav Raj 1/17, Mihir Kumar 1/15)
- Blaze CC: 108/8 in 20 overs (Shaurya Pratap Singh 38, Shivam Akhouri not out 14, Keshav Raj not out 10, Extras 29; Om Prakash 4/7, Krishna Tiwari 2/14, Deepak Kumar 1/19, Arnab Dutta 1/16)
