DUBAI 4 November 2019: South Africa are the new world champions of the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals.
Whilst South Africa stunned in an epic win against England in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, the University of Pretoria’s Assupol TuksCricket team was busy impressing cricket fans in Dubai.
After seven days of thrilling on-field action featuring some of the game’s best young players, South Africa saw off tough competition from Pakistan to lift the trophy in the grand finale game played at the ICC Academy in Dubai Sports City.
The World Finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket saw teams from United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom battle it out in a fast and furious T20 tournament.
The World Final, played under floodlights on Saturday evening, was a tight game with South Africa eventually edging it by five wickets to be crowned champions. Khaled Al Awar, Director of Sports & Events at Dubai Sports Council was on hand to present the winners with their trophy.
Jiveshen Pilley, the Captain of the South African team, said: “Over the years Red Bull Campus Cricket has proven to be a fantastic platform for student cricketers to showcase their skills and to be seen by national selectors. We are extremely grateful to follow in their footsteps and to get a chance to compete here as well.
“The tournament in itself is an incredible opportunity and it was a privilege to be hosted and treated like a professional cricketer. As the final proved, the level of cricket was competitive and it pushed us to get better with every match right up until the last ball of the tournament. The tournament also gave players the opportunity to experience Dubai and we would like to thank Red Bull for making this such a memorable trip with so many experiences that we will never forget. The hard work will start soon to ensure that we can compete to be back again next year.”
Held from 27 October – 2 November, the World Finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket was an action-packed sporting event that helped to put both the UAE and the sporting stars of tomorrow firmly in the spotlight.
The tournament helped to provide teams of up and coming talents with essential professional cricketing experience, while the Red Bull Campus Cricket World Finals also offered a once in a lifetime opportunity for aspiring professional cricketers to gain recognition and further their career.
Among the young stars in the making who took to the field during the World Finals of the Red Bull Campus Cricket was including UAE cricketer and Red Bull Cricket Athlete, Chirag Suri.
Suri won the national finals before going on to be shortlisted for the Indian Premier League (IPL) players auction and bought by the Gujarat Lions, making him the first player from the UAE to take part in the world-renowned competition.