Dubai: Cricketers who represented Kerala state team and are living in the UAE and different parts of the world will take part in the fifth edition of the Friendship Cup to be held in Kerala on December 2 and 3.
This team who are called the Kerala Overseas Cricketers (KOC) is made up of non-resident Kerala players and they will leave for the tournament on November 30.
The KOC team will be led by PG Sundar, an elegant left-handed batsman of 90s for the second year in succession.
The tour is being sponsored by Byju’s — The Learning App, one of the leaders in Education Technology.
The tournament will be played at Kerala Cricket Association’s new ground in Thodupuzha.
Speaking to Gulf News after the release of the team jersey, skipper Sundar said: “The Friendship Cup has been a great example of how cricket could reunite old friends from different parts of the world again and keep up the value of true friendship. Kerala players residing in not only UAE but Kuwait, Qatar, Singapore but even from UK, US and New Zealand gather every year in the chosen Kerala city for the tournament. For the past four years, most of the matches have gone to the wire.”
It was KOC and Kerala Young Veterans who jointly created the Friendship Cup Twenty20 tournament and was first held at Kochi in January 2014 with the support of KCA which inspired the Kerala Veterans Cricket Association to start the first all Kerala Veterans Premier League for ex-state players over the age of 40.
Currently, KOC have 25 former Kerala State Cricketers as its group members, which is a mix of Kerala State players in Ranji Trophy as well as Junior State level players. KOC will also be hosting the Veteran Premier League (VPL-2018), in association with Dubai Cricket Council, KCA, VCAK at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on February 10 and 11.
KOC also felicitates current promising youngsters from the state and officials who contributed to the growth of cricket and even provide financial support to charity organisations.
