Mumbai: ŠKODA AUTO India announced the commencement of its unique cricketing talent scouting programme – ŠKODA ‘Single Wicket’ – for the young and aspiring players in the ‘Under 12’ and ‘Under 14’ age categories. The first edition of this tournament will be organized between July 2019 and January 2020, and stands to witness the participation of 100,000 students, from 5,000 schools, across 50 cities nationwide.
ŠKODA Single Wicket is a six-ball/one-over cricket tournament played between two players alternatively, that is, each participant will get a chance to bat, bowl, and demonstrate their skill set to an independent panel of jury members/selectors during the ‘City Trials’. The top eight performers, from each category, would advance to the ‘City Finals’ whereas all the participants will take home the official ŠKODA Single Wicket jerseys. Meanwhile, the parents and the guardians accompanying their loved ones will be able to experience the Czech marque, at specially designed ŠKODA AUTO engagement zones.
The shortlisted 100 individuals, in the U-12 and the U-14 categories, will travel along with their parent to Mumbai, Maharashtra for the ‘National Finale’. Here, the national champions, across the two categories, will be awarded ₹ 10 lacs each while the runners up will take home ₹ 5 lacs each. An incredible pool of talent, technique and potential, the ‘City Winners’ from across the nation, will be awarded prizes worth ₹ 15,000 each.
Commenting on the introduction of the ŠKODA Single Wicket, Mr. Zac Hollis, Director – Sales, Service and Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “With Single Wicket, we celebrate the spirit of cricket and sportsmanship, in India. This first of its kind nationwide talent search programme is an innovative exercise to reach out to our customer, transcending geographies, and, who knows, in doing so we may discover India’s next gen cricketing stars.”
