University teams to compete in Red Bull Campus Cricket UAE National qualifiers

Sport360 staff 20:20 16/08/2017
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  • Eight teams are set to battle to earn their right to represent the UAE when the qualifiers of the Red Bull Campus Cricket (RBCC) takes place this weekend in Ajman.

    American University of Sharjah, University of Wollongong, Middlesex University, Heriot-Watt University, Manipal University, Amity University, BITS-Pilani and Skyline University will meet at the Ajman Mumbai Cricket Council on Friday and Saturday.

    The winner of the qualifiers will represent the UAE at the World Finals later this year.

    Launched in 2012, the tournament offers youngsters an opportunity to prove their cricketing mettle without having to deprioritise their academic commitments.

    Since the first edition, the competition has produced some exceptionally gifted players who have gone on to represent the UAE national team.

    One of those players featuring is Chirag Suri, who will be playing in the tournament for the third time.

    The 22-year-old batsman, who became the first UAE international to be bought in the IPL auction when he was sold to Gujarat Lions, says the Red Bull Campus Cricket has been instrumental to his development.

    “Red Bull Campus Cricket has been a very good opportunity for me and the rest of the boys to gain experience and get used to playing in different conditions,” he said.

    “The tournament is always very well organised and the facilities are great. The quality of players coming from each country is also very high which means there is plenty to learn from other teams.”

    Rohit Singh Jamwal, former UAE captain at the Under-19 World Cup in 2014, said: “Campus cricket is a wonderful opportunity to play against the best colleges/universities from different countries with wonderful emerging players, some of whom have already represented the national men’s, U-19s or the National A teams.

    “In the previous editions of the tournament, we have beaten India and Pakistan, and have shown that the level of cricket played in the UAE is quite good. We are steadily closing out the gap between us and the top-tier nations by starting to perform well at the junior level.”

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