Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 9 (ANI): Siliguri Strikers successfully conducted its open cricket trials in Kolkata this month. The event witnessed an impressive response from aspiring cricketers across North Bengal, as hundreds of young talents turned up to exhibit their skills and pursue their cricketing dreams.

Selected players (9 men, 2 women) will get the opportunity to train alongside the Siliguri Strikers players in net sessions and practice drills during the Bengal Pro T20 League Season 2, scheduled to take place in June.

After a rigorous evaluation process led by experienced coaches and talent scouts, a selected group of promising players have now been inducted into the Siliguri Strikers' net camp.

Speaking about the trials, Servotech Sports Director Rishabh Bhatia said, as quoted from a press release by Siliguri Strikers, 'The turnout and enthusiasm we saw during the trials reaffirmed our belief in the cricketing potential of North Bengal. These trials are a vital step in our mission to nurture grassroots talent and provide them with professional exposure.'

Meanwhile, Siliguri Strikers are gearing up for the second Bengal Pro T20 League season, slated to begin from June 11. Indian pacer Akash Deep, who has played seven Test matches, has been retained by Siliguri Strikers as men's team Marquee, while Priyanka Bala has been retained in the women's squad.

The Siliguri Strikers will represent the districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Kalimpong. With a strong foundation built in Season 1, the franchise now aims to elevate its performance and go one step further this year.

The men's competition of the Bengal Pro T20 League Season 2 will commence on June 11 at Eden Gardens, with the joint winners from last season, Sobisco Smashers Malda and Murshidabad Kings, facing off from 8 PM onwards.

The semifinals will be a double-header at Eden Gardens on June 26, with matches scheduled from 1 PM and 7 PM. The grand final will be played at Eden Gardens on June 28 from 7 PM onwards.

In the women's league, the opening day on June 12 will also feature double-header matches. Last season's finalist Murshidabad Kueens will take on Harbour Diamonds at 9 AM, followed by defending champions Lux Shyam Kolkata Tigers facing Siliguri Strikers.

The women's league will feature double-headers till June 25, with the semifinals on June 27 at JU, Salt Lake campus, and the final on June 28 at Eden Gardens.

Selected Players for the Net Camp:

Men's Team:Ayush Tiwari, Shuvajyoti Maity, Snighdho Chowdhury, Samriddha Banerjee, Daniyal Choudhury, Aryan Shaw, Ankit Kumar Soni, SK Zaheer Abbas, Raunak Raushan.

Women's Team:Urja Lohia, Kajal Roy.

Full Squad (men's)

Akash Deep, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Vikas Singh, Tarun Godara, Ankur Paul, Subham Chatterjee, Nuruddin Mondal, Irshad Alam, Ankush Tyagi, Sourav Paul, Mithilesh Das, Raju Halder, Pawan, Lokesh, Aditya Singh, Shivamm Bharati, Sachin Yadav, Anustup Majumdar.

Full Squad (women's)

Priyanka Bala (Marquee Player), Sneha Gupta, Tithi Das, Jhumpa Roy, Ratna Burman, Ananya Halder, Mouli Mondal, Anindita Nath, Swastika Kundu, Puja Adhikari, Sumana Mondal, Supritha Sarkar, Snigdha Bag, Nafisa Yasmin, Ritu Gayen, Soumi Roy. (ANI)