Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], March 18 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Monday officially inaugurated the 'Swarnim Gujarat MLA Cricket League 2.0' at Koba, Gandhinagar, by tossing the coin. The chief minister was accompanied by Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, state ministers, and MLAs, as per an official statement.

This 'Swarnim Gujarat MLA Cricket League 2.0' is scheduled to be held from March 17 to 20 among eight teams.

On the first day, the Banas team, led by Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, played as 'Shankarbhai Chaudhary XI,' while the Narmada team, captained by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, competed as 'Bhupendra Patel XI', the statement said.

Further as per the statement, the MLA Cricket League has been organised for the second time, inspired by Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, with the aim of fostering a spirit of sportsmanship among MLAs beyond the discussions and deliberations on state development in the Assembly,

On the league's first day, the 'Shakti Team' of women MLAs and the 'Durga Team' of women Assembly employees played a match, with the 'Shakti Team' emerging victorious. Additionally, the Sabarmati and Bhadar teams also played an exciting match.

This cricket league stands out with its unique approach of naming teams after the state's major rivers--Sabarmati, Narmada, Bhadar, Shetrunji, Banas, and Mahisagar. Accordingly, Group A features Sabarmati, Bhadar, and Shetrunji, while Group B comprises Narmada, Banas, and Mahisagar, with matches scheduled between these teams, the statement said.

A cricket match will be played on March 20 between media personnel and the officers and employees of the Assembly. On the same day, the final match will take place between the winning teams of the league, the official statement added. (ANI)