Leg cricket
Highest governing bodyInternational Leg Cricket Council
Nicknamesपाय चेंडू, लेग क्रिकेट, लात बॉल
Characteristics
ContactPermitted
Mixed-sexYes, separate competitions
TypeTeam sport
EquipmentBall, Wicket (Stumps, Bails)
VenueCricket field
Presence
Country or regionIndia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Indian Subcontinent, Asia

Leg cricket is a form of cricket played between two teams of eleven players[1][2] on a circular ground with a radius between 80 and 120 feet (24 and 37 m).[3][4] The game is played in South Asian countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka.[5][6][7]

Leg cricket involves using legs rather than a bat to propel the ball. The bowler rolls the ball along the ground under arm. The legsman has to kick the ball to score runs. A legsman can score four or six runs by kicking the ball out of the boundary line.[5]

History

Leg cricket is a recreational game. It is mainly played in India with various rules. Leg Cricket was invented by Mr. S. Nagraj, a physical education teacher in Bangalore. He introduced this game to the school children of the town as a source of physical fitness.Mr. Jogender Prasad Verma, a Physical Education teacher in Delhi, introduced the official rule book of leg cricket in 2010. Mr. S. Nagraj is known as the father of leg cricket. Mr. Verma is the present secretary of the International Leg Cricket Council and Leg Cricket Federation of India.[2][8]

Specifications

Leg cricket is played between two teams of 11 players. It is played on a circular ground with a radius between 80 and 120 feet. The pitch is 8 feet (2.4 m) wide and 42 to 48 feet (13 to 15 m) long, (depending on the age group and category of the players). The distance in stumps is 12 inches (304.8 mm) (1 foot).[9]

Pitch
Categories Boys Girls Mix
Under-12 Mini 44 feet 44 feet 44 feet
Under-14 Sub Junior 44 feet 44 feet 44 feet
Under-17 Junior 46 feet 46 feet 46 feet
Under-19 Senior 48 feet 48 feet 48 feet
Men's/Women's 48 feet 48 feet 48 feet
Boundary
Categories Boys Girls Mix
Under-12 Mini 70 feet 70 feet 70 feet
Under-14 Sub Junior 80 feet 80 feet 80 feet
Under-17 Junior 90 feet 85 feet 90 feet
Under-19 Senior 100 feet 90 feet 100 feet
Men's/Women's 120 feet 100 feet 120 feet
Stumps
Width of the 3 stumps 12 inches, 1 feet
Height of the 3 stumps 24–30 inches, 2–2.5 feet

Federation

At the international level, leg cricket is governed and promoted by the International Leg Cricket Council. This international body is headed by Shri Surender Kumar as President and Shri Joginder Prasad Verma as secretary general. In India, the Leg Cricket Federation of India is the apex governing body, which was formed in 2011. It is registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860 and affiliated with the International Leg Cricket Council.[3] Apart from India, leg cricket is famous in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Florida, Ghana, and Pakistan.

Competitions

National Championship in India: In July 2012, the Senior National T-10, Leg Cricket Championship was organised by the Leg Cricket Federation of India at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana, Delhi where a total of 24 teams of boys and girls participated. Sh. Surender Kumar, M.L.A. & Parliamentary Secretary to C.M., Delhi was the Chief Guest of Opening Ceremony[1] and Satpal Singh, an Olympic wrestler and the president of the School Games Federation of India was the chief guest of second day's championship.[10] Since 2012, the Leg Cricket Federation of India has organized 6 National games in various cities and states in India, such as Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

International Championships: India was the winner of the first Indo-Nepal T-10 Leg Cricket Series, which was held in July 2013.[3][11]

The 5th National T20 leg Cricket Championship was held at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.[12]

In January 2017, Karnataka won by securing 211 runs,[13] and Odisha secured 3rd position in the 5th National T10 Leg Cricket Championship, held in New Delhi.[14] Chandan Ray is the present captain of the Indian leg cricket team.[15][9][16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kargal, Rahul (March 15, 2017). "Leg Cricket - your favourite sport, served with a twist". Sportskeeda.
  2. ^ a b K., Sarumathi (February 28, 2017). "Welcome to the world of leg cricket". The Hindu.
  3. ^ a b c harpreet, Lamba Kaur (January 6, 2018). "Football or cricket? Leg cricket tries to find its feet in India". Asian Age.
  4. ^ "Cricket's Rendition of the 'Beautiful Game' - Leg Cricket". News 18. May 8, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Narayanan, Jayashree (July 20, 2016). "'Every game has its challenges'". Deccan Herald.
  6. ^ Engineer, Rayomand (January 6, 2018). "Is It Cricket? Is It Football? Well, It Is Both! Try Your Hand at This Unusual Sport". Thebetterindia.com.
  7. ^ Mishra, Vidhan Chandra (August 11, 2017). "देश में लोकप्रिय हो रहा लेग क्रिकेट, अपने पैर से कीजिए किक मिलेगा फोर और सिक्स" (in Hindi). Prabhat Khabar.
  8. ^ "Home". legcricketindia.com.
  9. ^ a b Panda, Namita (May 12, 2016). "Bargarh boy strives to promote new sport". Telegraph India.
  10. ^ Mather, Nazrin (January 24, 2018). "'Is it football or cricket?': Captain of India's Leg Cricket team decodes the sport". Thebridge.in.
  11. ^ "Chandan, Tushar, Ansuman get rousing welcome". Bhubaneswar: SportsLogon. July 25, 2016.
  12. ^ "Chandan to lead State Leg Cricket team". Daily Pioneer. May 18, 2016.
  13. ^ "Odisha finish 3rd in National Leg Cricket". SportsLogon. May 24, 2016.
  14. ^ "Odisha Leg Cricket team gets warm welcome for securing 3rd Potion at the National T10 Championship". JSG Live. January 2, 2017.
  15. ^ "Odisha's Chandan Ray is India U-19 Leg Cricket team captain". Incredibleorissa. May 12, 2016.
  16. ^ Biswas, Sudipta (June 12, 2016). "Leg Cricketer Chandan urges Government for sponsorship". Sportzwiki.

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