New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) The latest edition of the Delhi & District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) prestigious Hot Weather Tournament got underway on Tuesday, with DDCA president Rohan Jaitley underlining the competition’s significance as a platform for the capital’s best-performing club cricketers.

Widely regarded as one of the most prominent club cricket competitions in the region, the tournament brings together the top teams emerging from DDCA’s annual Open League structure and has long served as a proving ground for aspiring cricketers in Delhi.

Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Jaitley highlighted both the event’s history and its competitive nature.

“This is the DDCA Hot Weather Tournament. It is not only the oldest tournament in Delhi but also in North India. From our annual open league, the top 36 performing teams qualify for this tournament. The objective of this tournament is to provide a limited-overs, multi-exposure platform. There is no age criterion, and it brings out the best talent based on performances throughout the year for their clubs.

“They participate in the Hot Weather Tournament on behalf of the clubs. The tournament usually ends within 30-35 days. 36 teams are participating in the tournament. 113 clubs play in the Open League, out of which the top 36 participate in the Hot Weather Tournament. These are the teams that participate in DDCA’s Open League and the top teams come here and play,” Jaitley said.

The Hot Weather Tournament occupies a special place in Delhi’s cricketing calendar, with qualification earned solely through performances across the Open League season. The competition offers players an opportunity to showcase their abilities in a limited-overs format against some of the strongest club sides in the city.

DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma echoed Jaitley’s sentiments, stressing the scale of the association’s domestic structure and the competitiveness involved in reaching the tournament.

“We conduct leagues throughout the year, and based on that, teams qualify for the Hot Weather Tournament, which is the oldest tournament in Delhi and offers the highest prize money. Around 1,100 league matches are held annually, and the top-performing teams are selected from this pool. This year, 36 teams are participating. They prepare for this throughout the year, and we make the selection calls based on the stats we receive. If I remember correctly, this tournament has been going on for over 60 years. It was called the LG Cup earlier; now it’s called the Hot Weather Tournament.

“A few days ago, we started the Women’s Cricket League. When the responsibility was given to these clubs, they fulfilled it. 60 teams are playing in the Women’s Cricket League. 111 teams are playing in the Men’s Cricket League. The matches are played according to the structure we have established at DDCA. The teams play according to those guidelines, and they’re then selected by the BCCI based on that.”

Also present at the opening ceremony was veteran coach Rajkumar Sharma, best known for mentoring former India captain and stalwart Virat Kohli during his formative years. Having remained closely associated with Delhi cricket for decades, Rajkumar Sharma described the competition as one of the association’s flagship tournaments.

“It is a very good tournament. It is the oldest tournament of DDCA. It has been going on for a long time. The top 36 teams of Delhi participate in this tournament. It is a very grand tournament. I am happy that the President has increased the prize money by 10%,” he said.

The tournament is expected to run over the next month, with 36 clubs battling for top honours in what remains one of the most sought-after titles in Delhi’s club cricket circuit.

–IANS

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