A tournament of its own kind, the brand new season of Dhangadhi Cricket League is set to kick off on Falgun 22. For the first time ever, franchises were stacked up participating in auction and winning the bids for the players of their choice to have in their teams.
Teams based on five different areas of Dhangadhi; Attaria, Campus Road, Chauraha, Hasanpur & Santoshi Tole were finalized as first 5 teams to involve in the revamped third season of Dhangadhi Cricket League.
Teams will compete in the Twenty20 tournament under double league basis. U-19 team skipper Raju Rijal, also of Santoshi Tole, collected highest amount of Rs 40,000 in auction, while national team member Binod Bhandari and Lalit Singh Bhandari drew Rs 36,000 each.
Top four teams in the group will advance to play-off and the top two will qualify for the final. Out of the total prize purse of Rs 620,000, top two teams will receive Rs 300,000 and Rs 150,000 respectively, while the player-of-the-series will be awarded with Rs 50,000.
As we gear up for another season of cricket at Dhangadhi, you can read the 8 reasons why you simply can’t miss the third installment of Dhangadhi Cricket League.
1. History Has Been Made: For the first time in Nepal’s history, franchise teams were asked to form a team of their own. The 3rd season of Dhangadhi Cricket League is a kind of cute little premier league of their own with local players being prioritized over others. However, apart from the big names, almost all the national & domestic (who registered their names) players are participating in the event including recent U19 starlets.
2. U19 Starlets: Fresh from a very competitive U19 cricket world cup in Bangladesh, the U19 stars like Raju Rijal, Prem Tamang, Sunil Dhamala, etc are all set to roll up once again representing their respective franchises in the tournament. It will be exciting to watch them perform in domestic setup after their renewed confidence and energy playing the giants of the international cricket.
3. A Different Ball Game: Prior to DCL, every major cricket tournament held in Nepal was based on cricket clubs, national squads and departmental teams. The trend is hit and still continues pretty well. However, breaking the pattern and creating a load of buzz, franchise stakeholders will bring a different intensity to the league with their sole investments. The sheer pressure to win at any cost (within the spirits of cricket), this year’s heat is sure to rise early in the Terai city.
4. The Rise of The City of Cricket: Dubbed as the center for cricket last year, officially, Dhangadhi has been the junction of all major cricket action in the country in recent times. Already hosting SPA Cup every alternate year, DCL will bring a new dish on the table. It is almost sure to raise the competitive standards of cricket in the city. With other leagues SPA Cup, DCL, DCA Leagues, Saturday League, Sub-continental tours of DCA, etc is shaping up Dhangadhi as the undisputed City of Cricket by each passing year.
5. Lost & Found: Binod Bhandari, Naresh Budhayer, Mehboob Alam, Bhuvan Karki, etc are few big names who will be looking to rejuvenate themselves for the new season of Nepali cricket starting on April. A few good knocks and bowling spell here and there will help them gain some form & momentum. A perfect time to keep the (given they exist) selectors on check for next team selections.
6. The Surprise Element: Not many will know who Yam Karki is. But he easily sits among the top in the list of most expensive players of the DCL. This was only auctions; we expect a load of similar surprises to spur us throughout the tournament. An unknown bloke all of a sudden doing his bit to win a match for his team will raise many eyebrows. DCL is just a kind of tournament which can provide us with a host of surprise elements.
7. The Culture & Promise: A new cricket culture has been set. With all the hype and buzz, a successful tournament with loads of quality cricket will only grow DCL in bigger brand after its completion. Slowly but surely developing into the matter of pride and honor of every streets and chowks of Dhangadhi. The local audiences turning out to support their local team just might make more people of Dhangadhi cricket frenzy. Imagine how it can evolve into Dhangadhi’s own EPL/IPL in very near future.
8. Some Cricket! At least! : Yup. Blame Cricket Association of Nepal and their usual internal conflict of interests Nepal has been deprived with cricket for too long. DCL will just act as some freshness with some cricket for a change. At the end of the day, all we need is some cricket. Thank you Dhangadhi.
