New Delhi, July 21 -- The Delhi Premier League - School Juniors, an inter-school cricket tournament organised by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) in partnership with Hindustan Times, got off to an impressive start on Friday at the Netaji Subhash Sports Complex in Jasola Vihar. The tournament is aimed at providing a platform and nurturing budding cricketers from across the capital. This year's edition has brought together 16 of Delhi's top school teams, who will play an intense knockout competition. Participating schools include some of the most reputed names in the city's academic and sporting circuit - Modern School, Delhi Public School, Bal Bharti Public School, Hansraj Model School, Gyan Bharti School, Tagore International School and Green Fields School. The tournament's first two rounds are structured as 10-overs-a-side matches, ensuring fast-paced action and testing the strategic acumen of the young players. The opening day witnessed four action-packed matches, setting the tone for what promises to be a very competitive tournament. In the first game of the day, DPS Vasant Kunj edged out Kulachi Hansraj Model School by a narrow margin of 10 runs. Batting first, DPS posted a modest 66/4. However, DPS put up a strong bowling effort to restrict Kulachi Hansraj to 56/6. Pratyaksh Ojha's performance earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. The second match featured a dominant display by DPS RK Puram, who outclassed Hansraj Model School, Punjabi Bagh. After setting a commanding total of 102/4, DPS RK Puram bowled tightly to restrict their opponents to 51/7. Rohan Sarin bagged the Player-of-the-Match award. In the third clash, Bal Bharti Public School showcased their strength with a comprehensive 10-wicket win over DPS Mathura Road. DPS Mathura Road managed 77/6 and Bal Bharti chased it down effortlessly, reaching 78 without losing a wicket. Batter Divyansh Malik's fluent innings earned him the Player-of-the-Match accolade. The final fixture of the day turned out to be a nail-biter. Vidhya Bharti School narrowly defeated Green Fields School by two runs in a low-scoring thriller. Vidhya Bharti were bowled out for 40 runs, but they mounted a fierce defence, eventually restricting Green Fields to 38/8 in their allotted 10 overs. Aman Chaudhary was the Player-of-the-Match. The quarter-finals will also be a 10-overs-a-side competition. The semi-finals and final will be 20-overs-a-side matches. The top three teams will win cash prizes and trophies. The limited-overs format would particularly excite the budding players who harbour aspirations of becoming proficient T20 players, and eventually find a place in the glitzy Indian Premier League. The DPL School Juniors is serving as a grassroots activation platform designed to build momentum ahead of the upcoming Delhi Premier League Season 2, scheduled to be held in August. It also aims to build a community of cricket enthusiasts, players, schools and families who will follow and support DPL as it grows. The auction of the league was held on July 6 for the men's edition and July 7 for the women's tournament....