Dehradun to host world finals for top college cricketers

Dehradun will host eight of the top campus-cricket teams from around the world in the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals 2015. The matches will be played at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy, Dehradun, from October 19 to 24.

Teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England, South Africa, Australia and UAE will compete in the annual Twenty20 competition. Each participating team has qualified for the finals after winning their respective national tournaments. The 2015 edition will be the first time UAE will participate in the tournament, having replaced West Indies in the team line-up.

Assupol TUKS from South Africa were crowned champions in the last edition, which was held in London. Assupol TUKS have maintained their winning ways and will begin as pre-competition favourites this year as well. They recently beat Steinhoff Maties in the finals of their local competition to qualify.

The defending champions will face tough competition from University of Technology, Sydney (Australia), Loughborough MCC University (England), Government Jinnah College (Pakistan), European University of Bangladesh (Bangladesh), International College of Business and Technology (Sri Lanka) and Heriot Watt University (UAE).

Shradhanand College (Delhi) will represent hosts India, after they beat DAV College Jalandhar to secure their spot in the world finals. Rizvi College (Mumbai) - who made the finals last year - failed to make the cut, due to a poor showing in the national tournament.