“Recognition must encourage the next generation of cricketers,” says Rohan Jaitley as DDCA felicitates World Cup winners Pratika Rawal and Udhav Mohan

Rakesh Thapliyal

New Delhi: The Delhi & District Cricket Association felicitated India’s World Cup winners Pratika Rawal and Udhav Mohan at the Sports Journalists Federation of India National Convention hosted by the Delhi Sports Journalists Association here on Monday.

The recognition ceremony formed part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the SJFI convention, where administrators, journalists and sportspersons gathered to celebrate achievements across Indian sport. During the felicitation, DDCA honoured Rawal, who was part of India’s historic women’s ODI World Cup victory in 2025, with a cash award of ₹51 lakh, while Under 19 World Cup winner Mohan was presented a cash prize of ₹11 lakh for his achievement with the national junior side.

Speaking at the ceremony, DDCA President Rohan Jaitley said, “It is always special to recognise players who have risen through the Delhi system and gone on to represent the country with distinction. Achievements like these inspire countless young cricketers who dream of following the same path. As an association we believe recognition and encouragement are important in nurturing the next generation of talent.”

Rawal described the honour as a memorable moment in her journey as a cricketer who has grown through Delhi’s system.

Prateeka Rawal. 

“It feels really good when you are recognised on such a big stage, especially by the DDCA and by Rohan sir. It is a very privileged moment for me. I have played a lot of cricket for Delhi and this is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life,” Rawal said.

Speaking about the impact such gestures can have on young players entering the system, she added, “When you perform at your best, recognition follows naturally, so it’s intertwined. When you receive that recognition it motivates you to perform even better the next time. It becomes a cycle where you perform well, get recognised and then feel encouraged to keep improving. I believe this will motivate many youngsters coming into the system, both girls and boys.”

For Mohan, the recognition represented a significant moment early in his career. The young Delhi cricketer, who was part of India’s 2025/26 Under 19 World Cup winning squad, trains at the West Delhi Cricket Academy under renowned coach Rajkumar Sharma, the mentor who also guided Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli during his formative years.

“First of all I am very thankful to DDCA. This is very motivating for us as cricketers because when we know our association supports us and stands behind our goals it pushes us to do even better. It encourages me to keep improving, play better cricket and make my state and country proud. At the end of the day, every cricketer wants to grow and improve, and here we get access to quality facilities, the opportunity to train and play on some of the best grounds, and an environment where we can make full use of those resources. We practise hard and try to become better players,” Mohan said.

Reflecting on his journey through the Delhi system, he added, “I have always played for Delhi. I was picked in the Under 16 team and since then I have represented Delhi in Under 16 and Under 19 cricket before being part of the India Under 19 World Cup squad. Delhi has a very strong selection system where players have to prove themselves consistently and that helps bring the best talent forward.”

As part of the sporting competitions organised during the convention, the North Zone team emerged winners of the JK Bose Inter Zonal T20 Cricket Trophy. On behalf of the DDCA, Jaitley announced a cash reward of ₹5 lakh for the North Zone side during the ceremony.

“The balance which cricket administration and journalistic reviews play is very important. Whether it is criticism or feedback, it helps administrators and players understand where improvements are needed. The responsibility that comes with that role is extremely important because it shapes the way the game grows,” he said.

Jaitley also spoke about the future of cricket infrastructure in the capital, revealing that the association is working on plans to develop another international stadium in Delhi with accessibility as a key feature.

“We are also on the lines of making another international stadium and one of the core ideas behind that concept is accessibility. The aim is to ensure that individuals with mobility challenges, speech or vision impairments and those with sensory sensitivities are able to come to an international arena and enjoy the sport comfortably. Cricket should be experienced by everyone,” he said.