Sadbhavana T-20 Cricket Tourney begins

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the ‘Sadbhavana T-20 Cricket Tournament’, at the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, on Saturday.
The event — organised by the HIM Sports and Cultural Association — kicked off with a match between Governor’s XI and Press XI. Governor’s XI won the toss and opted to bat first. Their strong performance was led by Vivek Bhatia, who scored 106 runs, and Abid Hussain, who contributed 118 runs. The team set an impressive target of 255 runs, losing only one wicket, while Press XI struggled and were bowled out for just 74 runs, giving Governor’s XI a dominant victory by 181 runs.
Emphasising the deeper purpose of the event, the governor said beyond sportsmanship, it spreads awareness about drug addiction. He said the tournament’s theme, “Leave addiction, play sports” was a powerful message to inspire young people to stay away from drugs. He said drug abuse was a significant societal challenge and urged collective action to make Himachal Pradesh, known as Devbhoomi, free from this menace. The CM said the participation of teams represents the four pillars of democracy and sends a strong and positive message to the society.