JP Atray cricket tournament pulls down curtains, signals end of an era

Chandigarh: The All India JP Atray Cricket Tournament, one of the country’s longest-running pre-season domestic cricket competitions, will no longer be held from this year, bringing an end to a 34-year journey that saw several Indian stars use the tournament as a stepping stone to the highest level.

The tournament, held 30 times since its inception in 1992, was organised in memory of Jai Prakash Atray, former ADGP, Haryana. The decision to discontinue the competition has been taken jointly by the tournament committee and the Atray family, citing the increasingly packed cricket calendar, the growing prominence of T20 cricket and the difficulty in securing grounds.

“The tournament committee and the Atray family have now decided to close the chapter and declare the innings,” Vivek Atray said in a statement.

Played in the traditional 50-over format, the JP Atray Tournament was affiliated with the Punjab Cricket Association and received annual approval from the BCCI. It had traditionally served as a curtain-raiser to the Indian domestic season, attracting several leading domestic and international players.

Over the years, the tournament featured a remarkable list of Indian cricketers, including Kapil Dev, Yashpal Sharma, Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Irfan Pathan, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, besides former India pacer and selector Chetan Sharma.

According to the organisers, around 140 cricketers who played in the tournament subsequently represented India in one or more formats. Several others also returned to the competition after having already played for India.

However, the changing nature of the cricket calendar has made it increasingly difficult for such a tournament to attract top players. International assignments, domestic competitions, franchise cricket and the proliferation of state-level T20 leagues have left little room for traditional 50-over pre-season tournaments.

“The main reason for the closure of the tournament is the packed cricket calendar in current times. Top players are no longer available to play such tournaments due to international and domestic commitments,” Atray said.

He added that the rapid growth of T20 cricket and state-level leagues had further squeezed the available window. “The surge of T20 cricket and numerous State level T20 leagues have left no breathing space in the calendar,” he said.

The availability of suitable grounds had also emerged as a major challenge, adding to the difficulties faced by the organisers.

While the men’s tournament will end, the Atray family will continue its association with women’s cricket. The Rama Atray Tournament for women cricketers will be held as scheduled, with its seventh edition set to begin in Chandigarh later this month.

Vivek Atray expressed gratitude to the cricketing fraternity and everyone associated with the tournament over the decades, particularly the BCCI and PCA, as well as founder organising secretary Capt Sushil Kapoor and the players, sponsors, coaches, umpires, scorers, managers and ground staff.

“The Atray family wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the tournament's extraordinary success over the decades,” he said, adding that there was a “huge sense of gratitude to all our well wishers and friends.”

With its closure, the JP Atray Tournament leaves behind a significant legacy in Indian domestic cricket, having provided a competitive pre-season platform to generations of players who went on to represent the country.

Tags : JP Atray, Cricket, India, Tournament, T20, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Kapil Dev, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya