Chandigarh: Governor felicitates winners as Gully Cricket Tournament 2026 concludes

In the boys’ category, team number 93 clinched the title after defeating team number 159 in a thrilling Super Over, while in the girls’ category, team number 32 registered a commanding nine-wicket win over team number 1 to lift the trophy

The fourth edition of the Allengers Gully Cricket Tournament 2026, organised by the UT Cricket Association (UTCA) in collaboration with Chandigarh Police, concluded with Punjab governor and UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria felicitating the winning and runner-up teams at Punjab Lok Bhavan.

Cash prizes of ₹3 lakh were awarded to all semifinalist teams in both categories (HT Photo)

The tournament, which began on April 17 at Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, saw participation from 288 teams, including 256 boys’ teams and 32 girls’ teams, involving nearly 3,400 players aged 14 to 19 years. The initiative aimed at providing a competitive platform to young cricketers while promoting discipline and steering youth away from substance abuse, in line with the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

In the boys’ category, team number 93 clinched the title after defeating team number 159 in a thrilling Super Over, while in the girls’ category, team number 32 registered a commanding nine-wicket win over team number 1 to lift the trophy. Reena and Nitin Kumar were adjudged the best batters in the girls’ and boys’ categories respectively, while Tanya and Dhruv were declared the best bowlers.

Cash prizes of ₹3 lakh were awarded to all semifinalist teams in both categories. In addition, girls received hygiene kits, while boys received medical kits. Players were also provided with cricket kits and shoes. The Indian Street Premier League offered cash incentives to winners along with an opportunity for 25 outstanding players to compete at the national level.

Addressing the gathering, Kataria congratulated the winners and lauded the organisers for successfully conducting the tournament. He said the Chandigarh administration has disbursed ₹31 crore in cash awards to around 6,000 players over the past one and a half years and expressed confidence in the city’s sporting talent. He also announced an additional ₹1 lakh for first-position holders and ₹50,000 for runners-up, stating that the incentive would continue in future editions.

The administrator further revealed that memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will soon be signed with sports associations to facilitate better utilisation of government school grounds and support underprivileged players.

UTCA chairman Sanjay Tandon said performances during the tournament were closely monitored, with promising players being identified for higher-level opportunities, including pathways to BCCI-affiliated tournaments. He also shared that UTCA’s Nandini Sharma has been selected for a World Cup squad.