Kolkata Derby in Cricket! East Bengal, Mohun Bagan star in Bengal T20 Challenge
THE FAMOUS KOLKATA DERBY WILL NOW play out in a new popular platform - a state level T20 cricket league.
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, two Kolkata based clubs who have been arch rival for a century, are mostly known for their epic battles played out on the football pitch. But both clubs are multi-sport insitutions who actively participate in prominent cricket tournaments like CAB First Division League, CAB Senior Knockout, CAB Super League and JC Mukherjee Trophy.
And now the two clubs' cricket teams will face each other off in the inaugural Bengal T20 Challenge, an IPL-style competition featuring 6 Kolkata-based club sides.
Apart from East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, the tournament will also feature Town Club, Kalighat Club, Tapan Memorial Club and Customs.
The tournament will begin on 24th November, and take place inside a secure bio-bubble to avoid any COVID-19 infections among participating players. There will be a total of 33 matches, with teams playing each other twice, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale. This ensures that the two arch rivals East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will play each other at least twice, giving their millions of fanbases a rare chance to support their clubs in a sport other than football; as their cricket teams' matches are not usually covered by media in detail or showcased live on TV/internet.
