Talim Shield is perfect platform for city players ahead of Mushtaq Ali Twenty20

Parsee Gym skipper Vikrant Auti

The Padmakar Talim Shield T20 tournament set to begin on October 9, offers the city's top cricketers a good chance to impress former India pacer Salil Ankola's Mumbai senior selection committee ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, a national tournament scheduled to be played in November.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to start its local season with the Talim Shield, where 14 MCA affiliated clubs from the ‘A' and ‘B' division will compete over weekends, across the city's various gymkhana and club grounds, beginning this Saturday.

Defending champions Parsee Gymkhana, PJ Hindu Gymkhana, Payyade Sports Club and organisers MIG Cricket Club are some of the leading ‘A' division teams, while last season's runners-up Sainath Sports Club, Parel Sporting Club, Muslim United Sports Club and Victory Cricket Club are some prominent sides from the ‘B' division.

Eager to perform: Auti

Parsee Gymkhana skipper Vikrant Auti, who is not part of the 45 Mumbai senior players shortlisted for a fitness camp, is keen to prove himself. "I am excited to play and eager to perform in the upcoming Talim Shield. There has been no club cricket for so long [due to the COVID-19 pandemic]. This is a good opportunity for me to showcase my ability and knock on the Mumbai team's doors before the Mushtaq Ali Trophy," Auti, who last played for Mumbai two years ago - against Chhattisgarh - in a Ranji Trophy game, told mid-day recently.

Awaiting state govt's nod

The final state government nod, however, is awaited, said MCA's tournament committee chairman Deepak Patil. "Our committee actually recommended playing the Talim Shield games on Saturday and the Dr HD Kanga Cricket League matches on Sunday. But the MCA Apex Council has decided to have only the Talim Shield matches, which are for players of the ‘A' and ‘B' divisions. It all still depends on government permissions though," said Patil.

The Padmakar Talim Shield is known to be the world's oldest limited overs cricket tournament, initiated in 1948. However, organisers MIG Cricket Club and MCA decided to shift from 45 overs-a-side to the T20 format in 2018-19. "In the future, we will try to return to the original one-day format if we can," said MIG CC cricket secretary Amit Dani, who is also a MCA Apex Council member.

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