The team from Nagpur emerged victorious, edging out Surat to second place on a run rate basis at the Jiji Irani Challenge Cup Cricket Tournament hosted by the Zoroastrian Club, Surat from November 12 to 16, 2023. "One has to be sporting always because winning and losing are part and parcel of life. No one can win all the time,” reminded chief guest retired Justice Shahrukh Kathawalla, at the prize distribution function.
Clockwise from top: Nagpur winning team;
chief guest Justice Shahrukh Kathawalla;
Dr Homi Doodhwala inaugurates tournament
He further recalled that the Parsis founded the first Indian cricket club, the Oriental Cricket Club in Bombay in 1848. The first Indian cricket team to tour England in 1886 comprised exclusively of Parsis. "May each one of us develop within ourselves grit, skill and unflagging sportsmanship to take on the challenges of life,” concluded Kathawalla.
The Man of the Series prize went to Yohan Dungaji of Nagpur and the Rumi Battiwala Trophy for Maximum Sixes to his teammate Danoosh Dungaji. The maximum number of individual prizes though went to members of the Surat team: Best Bowler of the Series, Shehzad Dastur; Dara Modi Fastest 50 prize, Zubin Kasad; Maximum Catches taken, Kaizad Wadia; Youngest Player, nine-year-old Bezan Variava.
Calcutta player Raimin Bulsara was declared the Best Wicket Keeper and his teammate Jehaan Maloo, the Most Promising Youngster. Jamshedpur’s Rohin Patel was declared The Most Economic Bowler while his teammate Kaiwan Kazad was the Veteran Player. The Best Batsman was Jamshed Hormasji of Secunderabad.
Started 35 years ago with two Parsi teams — Nagpur and Jamshedpur — over the years teams from Secunderabad, Calcutta and Surat joined in to make it a pentangular match. The tournament is played in memory of Jiji Irani, father of Dr Jamshed Irani, erstwhile managing director of Tata Steel, who not only conceptualized but supported the tournament over the years.
The 2023 tournament was played at the Bawaji Bhatporia Cricket Grounds at Bhatpore. Present at the inauguration were Dastur Cyrus Dastur who led the humbandagi, the president of the Surat Parsi Panchayat and the Zoroastrian Club Dr Homi Doodhwala, and his co-trustee Yazdi Karanjia.
The evening functions organized by the Zoroastrian Women’s Assembly of Surat (ZWAS) were hosted at the Tamna-Ni-Dharamshala, noted the report of the five-day meet sent by ZWAS secretary Daizy Patel.
The donors who came forward to share the financial burden of the Club were: Kathawalla, Zubin Palia, Dara Mistry, Micky Disawala, Kaivan Bhagwagar, Rohinton Katpitia and Burzin Parekh. "Every tournament has its pillars who voluntarily take up the challenge to be the best host. Ensuring that all the visitors get a true taste of Surati mehman nawazi (gracious hospitality) was the enthusiastic group of volunteers from the Zoroastrian Club comprising secretary Yezdi Dapotawala, Shahrukh and Daizy Patel, Disawala, Yazad Variava, Burzin Dordi, Ruzbeh Bhagalia, Jehan Mandviwala, Eric Bacha, Nilufer Bavaadam and Zubin Bhatporia. Nozer and Freny Daruwala served sumptuous food on all the days.