New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Outer Delhi Warriors, one of the most beloved franchise teams of the Delhi Premier League, today formally announced the first-ever Krishna Apra Future Star Under-15 Championship.

The tournament is a franchise-born, grassroots T20 championship, empowered to curate the next generation of Indian cricketing talents from Delhi NCR, according to a release.

The inaugural edition would be hosted at the Jamia Millia Islamia grounds in New Delhi from June 20 to June 27, 2026, with early trials scheduled in May leading to a live auction, and a planned tournament showcase on a popular streaming service.

The franchise has appointed former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel as Brand Ambassador, also leveraging his T20 mentoring skills gained during his tenure at the Gujarat Titans.

In an additional development, cricketer turned broadcaster Aakash Chopra will also be a Brand Ambassador, acting as the chief face and global face of the organisation.

Also joining in for providing a formidable grassroots season, Sanjay Rawat will be supervising as Secretary of the tournament, along with League Observer Navnati Dinesh (Ex NCA Director), joining the tournament's management team for a successful run of the championship.

Designed as an under-fifteen male trial selection category from across Delhi NCR, the Championship will echo the structure of a senior professional league. The structure will mirror open trials as that of any T20 format, followed by an auction, which will determine 200 players for eight franchises.

The drafted squad members will then compete for 15 league matches divided into two line-ups, followed by two semi-finals and a final, all in T20 format for the pathway tournament.

The high scorers of the pathway tournament will then enter the Outer Delhi Warriors Academy Training Programme while gaining a developmental pipeline to performance support, holistic player development, and professional mentorship from senior cricketers.

Speaking about the launch of the Future Star Under 15 Championship, Naresh Panwar, Co-owner, Outer Delhi Warriors, said, 'Outer Delhi Warriors has always had a broader and top-of-the-mind vision. The franchise feels that a macro initiative needs to be taken in forming tomorrow's grassroot champions while developing the right channel towards senior pathway guidance. The Krishna Apra Future Star Under-15 Championship will mark the first formal initiative for every promising young cricketer in Delhi NCR to prepare for a highly competitive setting in the T20 format.

Outer Delhi Warriors participated in DPL as a new franchise entrant in the 2025 season and has, in a quick span, built itself as one of the recognisable squads in the league, anchored by IPL names such as Priyansh Arya, Suyash Sharma, Harsh Tyagi and Shivam Sharma. Cricketer-turned-broadcaster Aakash Chopra, who has been named Brand Ambassador of the Championship, said, 'Indian cricket has never had a shortage of talents; what it has regularly lacked is the identification of proper age to be backed from, while accessing adequate cricketing exposure. The under-15 youth talents, with proper trials and an auction with the proper televised broadcast support, will provide a thrill of being scouted while empowering them to endeavour for success.'

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Parthiv Patel, who will also serve as Brand Ambassador, added, 'Having played a variety of cricket myself, I recognise that the space between uncooked expertise and a pro career is bridged by discipline, exceptional education, aggressive playtime and exposure. The Krishna Apra Future Star Under-15 Championship has been constructed with exactly that rationale.' (ANI)