Patiala, August 21 (Sports Desk)
With the aim of promoting and strengthening women’s cricket in the state, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has launched the inaugural Punjab Queens Cup, a four-team T20 tournament, at the Dhruv Pandove Stadium in Patiala. The competition will run from August 21 to August 29.
The tournament features four teams — Malwa Mail, Puadh Express, Majha Brigade, and Doaba Titans. In the opening encounter, Malwa Mail registered an impressive 26-run victory over Majha Brigade.
Batting first, Malwa Mail posted a competitive total of 140/5 in 20 overs. Chasing the target, Majha Brigade were restricted to 114/9, handing Malwa Mail a comfortable win.
Kanika Ahuja starred with an excellent all-round performance, scoring 61 runs and taking 2 wickets. Avneet Kaur Sandhu chipped in with 31 runs, while Mamta Rani impressed with the ball, claiming 3 wickets.
Addressing the players during the inauguration ceremony, PCA Honorary Secretary Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer congratulated all participating teams and urged the players to make the most of the opportunity. He highlighted Punjab’s rich contribution to women’s cricket, noting that current Indian women’s team captain Harmanpreet Kaur hails from Punjab. He also praised Harleen Deol and Amanjot Kaur for bringing laurels to the state as members of India’s World Cup-winning squad.
Meet Hayer reaffirmed PCA’s commitment to the development of women’s cricket through the creation of more competitive tournaments, enhanced infrastructure, and increased opportunities for aspiring cricketers. He emphasized that empowering women through sports remains a key priority for the association and that initiatives such as the Punjab Queens Cup will help nurture future stars capable of representing both Punjab and India.
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He expressed confidence that the tournament would provide a valuable platform for emerging players to showcase their talent and gain important match experience.
Meet Hayer further informed that two matches will be played daily, with the first match commencing at 9:00 AM and the second at 2:00 PM. The final is scheduled for August 29 at 10:00 AM. To ensure a result in case of weather interruptions, an additional three-hour reserve period has been allotted for the final.
The tournament is being played in the T20 format and is being live-streamed on the Punjab Cricket Association’s official YouTube channel, enabling cricket fans across the state and beyond to follow the action live.
