New Delhi: Retired Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif will be the Brand Ambassador of the 6th edition of the Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2023-24, it was announced on Thursday.
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) in association with the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled named the celebrated batsman as the tourney's brand ambassador.
"As a Brand and Goodwill Ambassador Kaif would aim to bat for the cause of blind cricket in India and highlights the unwavering strength shown by the visually impaired players. This association between Mohammad Kaif and the Nagesh Trophy is a momentous step towards promoting inclusivity and highlighting the achievements of visually impaired cricketers in India," CABI said in a media release.
The Nagesh Trophy started from Thursday and will continue till January 30 next year. The League stage will be played till December 29. CABI will hold the Super 8 Stage Matches at Nagpur, Maharashtra in January.
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.”
The league matches of the tournament will be played across seven venues - 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.
Twenty eight teams are divided based on the last year's ranking into six groups. The first four groups have five teams each and the last two teams have four teams each.
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, Railway, Punjab, and Goa.
Group F: Manipur, Assam, Tripura, and Chhattisgarh. (UNI)