Raipur: The Road Safety World Series 2021 cricket tournament is starting from March 5 in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The tournament will be played till March 21 at the International Cricket Stadium in Raipur.
Last year the tournament was postponed midway due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time the tournament will resume from where it ended last year. In 2020, four matches were played.
This time six teams will lock horns in the Road Safety World Series which features legendary players from India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
India Legends
Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Noel David, Munaf Patel, Manpreet Gony, Naman Ojha, Pragyan Ojha, Yusuf Pathan.
England Legends
Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Monty Panesar, Nick Compton, Chris Tremlett, Kabir Ali, Sajid Mahmood, Phil Mustard, Chris Schoefield, James Tredwell, Jonathan Trott, Ryan Sidebottom, Usman Afzaal, Matthew Hoggard, James Tindall.
West Indies Legends
Brian Lara, Pedro Collins, Narsingh Deonarine, Tino Best, Ridley Jacobs, Sulieman Benn, Dinanath Ramnarine, Adam Sanford, William Perkins, Carl Hooper, Dwayne Smith, Ryan Austin, Mahendra Nagamootoo.
Sri Lanka Legends
Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Dilshan, Kulasekara, Chamara Silva, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thilan Thushara, Dammika Prasad, Herath, Kapugedra, Dulanjana Wijesinghe, Russel Arnold, Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof Manjula Prasad and Malinda Warnapura.
South Africa Legends
Jonty Rhodes, Makhaya Ntini, Nicky Boje, Morne Van Wyk, Garnett Kruger, Roger Telemachus, Justin Kemp, Alviro Petersen, Andrew Puttick, Thandi Tshabalala, Loots Bosman, Llyod Norris Jones, Zander de Bruyn and Monde Zondeki.
Bangladesh Legends
Abdur Razzak, Khaled Mahmud, Nafees Iqbal, Mohammad Rafique, Khaled Mashud, Hannan Sarker, Javed Omar, Rajin Saleh, Mehrab Hossain, Aftab Ahmed, Alamgir Kabir, Mohammed Sharif, Mushfiqur Rahman and Mamun Ur Rashed.
Where will the tournament take place?
Last year, four matches took place in Maharashtra, but this year all the matches will be held at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
What is Road Safety World Series?
The Road Safety World Series is an initiative by the Road Safety Cell of Maharashtra in association with the Professional Management Group (PMG) spearheaded by Sunil Gavaskar, who is the Commissioner of the Series, and Tendulkar, who is the brand ambassador.
Why is this tournament being hosted?
The main objective of the tournament is to raise awareness about the importance of road safety in India. The event has been approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of the Government of India has also given nod. The state government has agreed to organise the tournament in order to promote awareness on important topics like road safety, tourism and investment in Chhattisgarh. The tournament will be organized under the joint aegis of the Transport and Sports Department.
Players who reached Raipur
South African legend captain Jonty Rhodes has arrived in Raipur on Monday. Players from England, Bangladesh and South Africa have already reached Raipur. Former India pacer Irfan Pathan reached Raipur two days ago. Their COVID-19 Test was done at the airport. Nobody tested positive so far.
Hotel converted into bio-bubble
All the players are staying at a hotel in Nawa Raipur. To maintain the sanctity, the hotel has been converted into a bio bubble zone. Players are not allowed to go outside the hotel premises. At the same time, nobody is allowed to meet the players.
Strong security arrangements
Following the COVID-19 guideline, 2500 police personnel will be deployed in the parking lot around the road and stadium. 20 personnel were deployed at the hotel. Moreover, 21 (ASP) and 20 (DSP) officers including 10 (IPS) officers will also be deployed.
Road Safety World Series 2021 complete schedule
March 5: India Legends vs Bangladesh Legends, from 7 pm
6 March: Sri Lanka Legends vs West Indies Legends, from 7 pm
March 7: England Legends v Bangladesh Legends, from 7 pm
March 8: South Africa Legends vs Sri Lanka Legends, from 7 pm
March 9: India Legends v England Legends, from 7 pm
March 10: Bangladesh Legends vs Sri Lanka Legends, from 7 pm
March 11: England Legends v South Africa Legends, from 7 pm
March 12: Bangladesh Legends v West Indies Legends, from 7 pm
March 13: India Legends v South Africa Legends, from 7 pm
March 14: Sri Lanka Legends v England Legends - 7 pm
March 15: South Africa Legends v Bangladesh Legends - 7 pm
March 16: England Legends v West Indies Legends - 7 pm
March 17: First Semi-Finals - 7 pm
March 19: Second Semi-Final - 7 PM
March 21: Final - 7 pm
