CHANDIGARH, 01.11.25-The fifth edition of the Balramji Das Tandon Memorial Under-16 Multi-Day Cricket Tournament was inaugurated by Prerna Puri (IAS), Secretary, Sports, UT Administration, at the Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, Chandigarh on Saturday. The ceremony was graced by Sanjay Tandon, Member, Governing Council, WPL (BCCI); Saraansh Tandon, President, UT Cricket Association; Mahender Singh, Deputy Director, Sports, UT; and other functionaries of the Association. Prrena Puri also spun the toss for the inaugural match played between Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.

In her address, Prerna Puri lauded the tournament for providing a prestigious and competitive platform that brings together budding cricketers from across the country. She said such tournaments play a vital role in shaping the future of Indian cricket by giving young players exposure to longer formats of the game. She also commended Gully Cricket, an initiative of the UTCA for its consistent efforts in identifying and nurturing cricketing talent from the grassroots level, thereby strengthening the overall sporting ecosystem of Chandigarh.

A total of eight teams Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Delhi, Tripura, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and host Chandigarh are competing in the league-format tournament across various city venues.The final will be played on November 16-17.

Speaking on the occasion, Saraansh Tandon said, "through this tournament, we aim to bridge the gap between junior and senior domestic cricket and ensure that promising youngsters get the right platform to showcase and refine their skills.”