BAPS Charities organised an indoor community cricket tournament, the ‘Yogi Yuva Cup’, held at Harrow Leisure Centre and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London, over the weekend of 6-7 April 2024.
Over two days, a record 41 teams and more than 330 individuals aged between 16 and 60 participated. They came from cities and towns all over Britain and as far afield as Belfast and Antwerp.
The tournament kicked off with an air of anticipation as the teams descended upon the venue, each harbouring dreams of glory. From the powerhouses to the underdogs with everything to prove, every match promised intrigue and excitement.
The top two teams from the group stages progressed to the Last 16, with the winners facing off in some competitive and challenging games. The shock of the Last 16 round was the serial winners, Barnet A, losing to Leicester A, ending a record 42-game winning streak spanning multiple years, and ensuring we had a new champion this year.
The quarter-finals were all close affairs, but not as close as possibly the game of the tournament in the semi-finals with last year’s runners-up West London A and Leicester A. With absolutely nothing to separate the teams, the game ended in a tie. Leicester A finally went through the final after a double super over! They were to face Watford A, who had beaten South London A in the other semi-final.
The final proved to be a high-scoring affair with Leicester A batting first and setting Watford A a challenging score of 125 to win. It proved too much for Watford A to chase down, ultimately falling 20 runs short despite some valiant efforts.
The hugely successful event encouraged youths and adults leading busy lifestyles to engage in some healthy activity and helped develop positive community relations. Every team contributed to high-quality cricket, providing entertainment and competitiveness that was played with a spirit of unity and sportsmanship.
Yogi Yuva Cup Winners 2024: Leicester A
Yogi Yuva Cup Runners-Up 2024: Watford A
Individual Awards:
Best Batsman: Ankur Patel
Best Bowler: Kritesh Purohit
Best All-Rounder: Akshar Patel
