CHENNAI: TNCA All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament will be held from August 15, 2023, to September 11, 2023, at Tirunelveli, Coimbatore, Salem and Natham. The tournament moves out of Chennai for the very first time. The last edition of the tournament was held in the 2016-2017 season. For the first time, the tournament is conducted in a four-day format.
“Buchi Babu is a quality tournament one of the best in the country. Several greats like Sunil Gavaskar and GR Viswanath made it a point to play in this tournament. From personal experience, I can say that this tournament is a stepping stone for a cricketer. Performances will be noted as it is a quality tournament,’’ said former India captain K Srikkanth who was the chief guest.
Srikkanth also requested HR Srinivasan, vice chairman of Take Solutions who is the sponsor of the Buchi Babu tournament to sponsor the satellite coaching centres of TNCA, to which HR Srinivasan readily agreed.
Twelve teams, including 10 state teams including the likes of Mumbai, Baroda, Delhi, Kerala, Bengal, Haryana, MP, and Indian Railways will compete along with local teams TNCA President’s XI and TNCA XI.
The 12 teams have been divided into four groups with three teams each. The top teams from each group will qualify for the semifinals.
The prize money for the winners and runners-up will be Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh respectively. The Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament will receive Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively. Due to the non-availability of MA Chidambaram Stadium which is under preparation for the forthcoming World Cup and ongoing First Division League matches, the tournament has moved to the districts.
