Dubai to host 2019 World finals of Red Bull Campus Cricket later in October

India, 17th October 2019: The United Arab Emirates 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 2 November 2019, the popular 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.

352 colleges across 30 cities in India competed for the national championship of Red Bull Campus Cricket 2019. This year, Indian Premier League Team Rajasthan Royals scouted talent from RBCC 2019 and will offer them a trial for the first team with the possibility of getting picked in the next IPL auctions.

DAV College Chandigarh team beat Hindustan College Chennai team in an exciting low scoring final to emerge the India Champions of the prestigious T20 tournament. Having previously won the RBCC National Finals & World Finals in 2013, DAV College Chandigarh will once again represent India at the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals in UAE in this year.

Former Indian Cricketer Dinesh Mongia was the coach at DAV College Chandigarh who helped in training the national champions. DAV College Chandigarh has produced more than 60 international sportsmen including top former cricketers like Kapil Dev, Yuvraj Singh, Yograj Singh, Dinesh Mongia.

Steady growth

Launched in 2012 with just over 800 participants, Red Bull Campus Cricket has grown steadily, with the number of participants increasing year-on-year, reaching over 8,000 athletes in total. It has fast cemented its status as an important competition for aspiring cricketers currently in university – all players within a team must be affiliated with their own university or college.

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

Red Bull Campus Cricket Alumni include UAE cricketer and Red Bull Cricket Athlete, Chirag Suri. The right-handed opening batsman began to make his mark on the university circuit after winning Red Bull 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 (IPL) players auction and bought by the Gujarat Lions, making him the first player from the UAE to take part in the world-renowned competition. In July, the rising star cricketer was drafted from more than 1,000 cricketers from 42 nations to participate in the 2019 edition of Global T20 Canada, playing alongside Indian star cricketer, Yuvraj Singh.

The team placed third overall. Suri attended the UAE National Qualifiers to mentor the participating cricket stars of the future. “The best way to learn and get better is to play with better players and surround yourself with the best at that level,” said Suri. “I was lucky enough to play in such a highly competitive tournament, which really boosts your learning. The opportunity to play in different conditions against different teams from all over the world really helps you gain knowledge and to understand the game better and how it is played in different countries.”

Red Bull Campus Cricketing stars like KL Rahul, Karun Nair and Shradul Thakur have represented the country at the international level. Cricketers like Manan Vohra, Siddhesh Lad, Himanshu Rana, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Anukul Roy, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ricky Bhui have also reaped the benefits of Red Bull Campus Cricket by earning IPL contracts.

India Cricketer and Red Bull Athlete, KL Rahul was the top scorer in the 2013 edition of the competition and credits RBCC to his success at the domestic and international level. “Red Bull Campus Cricket is very close to my heart and something I will remember till the end of time. This is where I revived my college cricket and found my lost confidence. And through this tournament I have found my way up.” said KL Rahul.

RED BULL CAMPUS CRICKET WORLD FINALS: PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

The finalists from the following eight countries will compete in the World Finals this October. They are:

• Bangladesh – Stamford University
• India – DAV College Chandigarh
• Pakistan – University of Karachi
• South Africa – University of Pretoria – TUKS
• Sri Lanka – International College of Business & Technology
• United Arab Emirates – Manipal University
• United Kingdom – MCC University Leeds Bradford
• Zimbabwe – University of Zimbabwe

Last year, Sri Lanka’s Business Management School claimed glory in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Final in the most dramatic fashion possible, completing a chase of 212 off the last ball of the tournament, to defeat an outstanding India’s Marathwada Mitra Mandal College of Commerce (MMMC College) side, who had seemed in firm control for much of the game’s duration.

Of the previous Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals, two have now been won by a Sri Lanka team, three by a South Africa side, and one by an Indian team.