Varanasi: A cricket tournament with a Sanskrit touch

Spending their normal days learning Vedic scriptures, students from different Sanskrit-medium schools across Varanasi on Tuesday showcased their cricketing skills in a tournament having a touch of ancient Indian traditions.

The youngsters, clad in dhoti and kurta, did not look in discomfort while bowling and batting. Each student had tripund (three lines of 'shivling') on their forehead while they were playing.

Even the umpires were seen donning the traditional attire and officiating the match.

The tournament is being organised by Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vidyalaya on the occasion of its 75th founding year.

The main highlight of the unique cricket tournament is the commentary which is done in Sanskrit language, a rare occasion in today's times.

A sizeable crowd which had gathered to watch the tournament were left awestruck as the youngsters in dhoti and kurta ran between the crease barefoot, coupled with the echoes of the Sanskrit commentary through a loudspeaker.

Ganesh Dutt Shastri, a teacher of a Sanskrit-medium school in the city, said that the tournament is being held to motivate the students to take up sports to carve out a better future for themselves.

"This tournament is a 10-over format. All Sanskrit Mahavidyalayas across Varanasi are participating in the tournament. Five teams are playing. All the students are wearing dhoti and kurta. To make the tournament more special, the commentary is being delivered in Sanskrit by two persons -- Shresht Narayan Mishra and Dr Vikas Dixit," he told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiments, Acharya Pawan Kumar Shastri of Shastrath Mahavidyalaya, explained that the tournament itself is unique in its approach.

"It is a proud moment for us that this tournament is known as Sanskrit Cricket League. While on other days, the boys are studying Vedas and having pens in their hand, today they are having bat and ball in their hands," he told ANI.

Furthermore, he underlined that a cricket tournament having a touch of ancient Indian traditions has not happened anywhere in the country.