Thiruvananthapuram played host to a unique cricket match on Wednesday, as a team comprising the state’s prison inmates as well as officers played a T20 match against their Sri Lankan counterparts.
The Sri Lankan delegation is in India to learn the best practices in Kerala prisons, according to a New Indian Express report.
The match which was held at the sports hub in Karyavattom saw Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and actor Jayasurya in attendance as chief guests.
The 28-member delegation from the island nation was led by two commissioners and had officers of different ranks while Kerala’s team had both prisoners and officers.
Kerala prisons DIG B Pradeep said that their team was selected through a 3-level selection process, according to the report.
For the preliminary round, a total of 70 personnel including staff and inmates were selected. From these, 20 qualified for the next round at the KCA stadium in Mangalapuram.
This included 13 staff and seven prisoners from Poojappura, Viyyur, Nettukaltheri and Cheemeni prisons. The final team of 11 was selected at LNCPE stadium in the capital on Wednesday.
The idea of a T20 match was suggested by Prisons DGP R Sreelekha after the Sri Lankan officials expressed interest in visiting the state, the report states.
The Sri Lankan team won the match by 8 wickets and the trophy was awarded by state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
What’s even more interesting is that the trophy was reportedly designed and carved by the prisoners themselves.
Speaking to the media after the match, Kerala Prisons DGP R Sreelekha said, “I don’t think such a game has ever been organised anywhere in India. We have conducted this in Kerala for the first time.”
(All photographs by Sreekesh Raveendran Nair)