Former India captain Rahul Dravid said on Saturday that the young and aspiring cricketers from small towns have great hunger and desire to do well.
Dravid was speaking at a press conference at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai ahead of the inaugural ceremony of the Toyota University Cricket Championship on Saturday.
Talking about the positives of such a platform, Dravid said, "It’s great to see young boys and girls from smaller towns and cities like Gwalior [playing in the tournament]. I think they have all the facilities today. The teams in metros may have played more tournaments but the boys from smaller places have great hunger and desire to do well and upset some of the bigger teams."
He further added, "The game is changing in India. If you look, a lot of youngsters are coming from smaller towns and cities. They are the future of cricket and sports in India."
The Toyota University Cricket Championship, an initiative by NDTV and the HRD ministry, is a Twenty20 tournament for various Universities across the country.
The inaugural ceremony was a star-studded event with super star Shahrukh Khan and the musical duo of Shankar Mahadevan and Ehsaan Noorani gracing the occasion.
The event kicks off in style with the Northern Stars from Jamia Milia Islamia University taking on local team Western Bulls from Mumbai at the Brabourne stadium at Mumbai.
PTI
 |
                                                                                           |
 |