AICC general secretary Tariq Anwar inaugurated the 40th Rajiv Gandhi Under-19 cricket tournament at the Amberpet Water Works Ground on Thursday.

Former MP and Cricket Federation of India chairman V. Hanumantha Rao attended the inauguration. The competition has a total of 12 state teams, including ones from Delhi, Bihar, Chennai, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka. In T-20 matches played on Thursday, Hyderabad defeated the Sri Lankan squad, while AP defeated Vidarbha and Telangana defeated the Bihar team.

Speaking at the event, Anwar praised Hanumantha Rao for his years of work promoting sports among the underprivileged and assisting the sporting world in spotting talents like Mohammad Siraj, Kusal Mendis, and Liton Das, among others. Such competitions, according to Hanumantha Rao, will help aspiring cricketers discover their hidden talent. The tournament will conclude on January 22.