Dallas (USA): Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar will mentor one of the six teams in the inaugural season of the 'Sixty Strikes' cricket tournament starting in Dallas on October 4. The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) will host the tournament in association with the National Cricket League (NCL) USA. The 10-day tournament will feature six different teams from across the world.

Many former and current legends will participate

According to the press release issued, players like Mohammad Kaif, Sunil Narayan, Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Aamir, Angelo Mathews, Jason Roy, Mohammad Nabi, Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan, Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal will participate in this tournament. Dilip Vengsarkar and Zaheer Abbas are named in the list of mentors while Vivian Richards and Sanath Jayasuriya are named as coaches.

The Governor of Texas expressed happiness over the event

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, 'Texas is proud to host the inaugural season of the Sixty Strikes tournament. Earlier this year, Texas hosted the first T20 Cricket World Cup in the US. Our state has welcomed Major League Cricket and the National Cricket League USA and both of these leagues have Texas teams. Cricket is spreading globally and Texas will play a leading role in this development in our country.'

The tournament format will be 60 balls

The Sixty Strikes competition will be a 60-ball format, known for power-hitting and high-scoring matches. “Many in the UT Dallas community play or follow the sport, which made our decision to partner with this competition an easy one,” said UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson.

Cricket is trying to attract the attention of the American people

NCL USA President Arun Agarwal said this will be a "phenomenal moment for cricket in the US" as the sport strives to capture the attention of the people here. "By offering world-class cricket along with top-level entertainment, we will attract a diverse set of spectators and increase the presence of the sport in North Texas. Sixty Strikes is set to bring about a big change in the way cricket is perceived," he added.