UAE to host 2019 Red Bull Campus Cricket world finals

DUBAI: The UAE has been chosen as the host country of this year’s world finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket. 

Scheduled to take place between 27 October and 3 November 2019, the competition – which is the only global college cricket tournament in the world – offers aspiring student cricketers a platform to play an international professional T20 tournament.

Ahead of the finals, the UAE national qualifiers take place earlier in the month from 3-5 October. 

CAMPUS CRICKET 101
It was a tiny competition when it debuted in 2012 – with just over 800 participants – but today, Red Bull Campus Cricket has cemented its status as an important competition for aspiring cricketers currently in university. And it’s crucial all players within a team must be affiliated with their own university or college.

Not only does it provide teams with professional cricketing experience, Red Bull Campus Cricket also offers a great deal of exposure, a once in a lifetime opportunity for upcoming cricket athletes to gain recognition and further their career.

One previous competitor of Red Bull Campus Cricket is UAE's Chirag Suri. The UAE cricketer began to make his mark on the university circuit after winning Campus Cricket three times with his team Heriot-Watt University Dubai. His big break shortly followed, representing the UAE during the 2014 Under-19 World Cup.

In 2017, Suri was shortlisted for the Indian Premier League players auction and bought by the Gujarat Lions, making him the first player from the UAE to take part in the IPL.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
The finalists from the following eight countries will compete in the World Finals this October. They are:
Bangladesh
India
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Zimbabwe