NEW DELHI: The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), in association with the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, has announced former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif as the brand ambassador of the 6th edition of the IndusInd Bank Men’s National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2023-24 also known as Nagesh Trophy.
As a brand and goodwill ambassador, Kaif aims to bat for the cause of blind cricket in India and highlight the unwavering strength shown by the visually impaired players. This association between Kaif and the IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy is a step towards promoting inclusivity and highlighting the achievements of visually impaired cricketers in India.
The IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy will be held from Thursday, November 23 to January 30, 2024. The league stage will be played till December 29. CABI will hold the Super 8 Stage Matches at Nagpur, Maharashtra in January 2024.
Kaif, speaking on the occasion, expressed his excitement, saying: “I am honoured and delighted to be associated with Nagesh Trophy. Cricket for the Blind is an inspiring thought and the players’ dedication and talent deserves recognition and I support Cricket for the Blind. I look forward to contribute to the growth of cricket for the blind in India and wish to be part of their incredible journey.”
CABI chairman Dr Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar said, “Nagesh Trophy is the time to celebrate the cricketing talents of Visually Impaired and I am sure the 6th edition will help us to identify the new talent to nurture them to be cricketers who will bring laurels to mother India in the future. I place on record the continuous support that we have received from IndusInd Bank in celebrating the talents of our Cricketers over the years.”
Nagesh Trophy chairman Yogesh Taneja added: “I am happy to inform that Nagesh Trophy is held in different parts of India to promote cricket for the blind in smaller cities. This shows the commitment of CABI in promoting Cricket which will help all of us to build an inclusive society through Cricket for the Blind.”
The league matches of the 6th edition of the IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy will be played across 7 venues namely, Jammu, Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Kochi (Kerala), Chandigarh, Tripura, and Kota (Rajasthan). A total of 28 Teams (State /UT’s and an Indian Railways team which is represented by the Visually Impaired working in Railways) will play the T20 format Tournament.
28 teams are divided based on the last year’s ranking into 6 groups. The first 4 groups have 5 teams each and the last 2 teams have 4 teams each.
The 5th edition had declared joint winners (Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) as the final was washed out due to rain. Odisha has won the Nationals once while Andhra Pradesh has emerged victorious in the finals of the tournament 3 times.
Group A: Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Group B: Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra, Pondicherry, and Uttarakhand.
Group C: Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
Group D: Gujarat, Chandigarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.
Group E: Jammu & Kashmir, Railways, Punjab, and Goa.
Group F: Manipur, Assam, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh.
Nagesh Trophy was launched in the memory of CABI founder president SP Nagesh and founder trustee, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
