Restaurant Cricket League has now evolved into the Rashtriya Cricket League

New Delhi, 3rd October 2026: What began as the Restaurant Cricket League has now evolved into the Rashtriya Cricket League (RCL) a new identity that reflects the expanding vision, growing participation and larger purpose of the league.

The announcement of the Rashtriya Cricket League marks a significant new chapter for an initiative that is using the immense popularity and spirit of cricket to bring people together from different communities, professions and backgrounds for a cause that goes far beyond sport.

The change of name from Restaurant Cricket League to the Rashtriya Cricket League (RCL) represents the league’s growing reach and its ambition to create a much broader national platform.

The word “Rashtriya” reflects the vision of bringing people together from across India and from different walks of life through the universal language of cricket. Rashtriya Cricket League (RCL) logo was also unveiled, marking an important step towards the upcoming league and its vision of combining cricket with a meaningful social cause.

Rashtriya Cricket League is no longer confined to one industry or one community. The league will be played from 22nd to 25th October 2026 at the National Stadium Cricket Ground, New Delhi. The teams will represent diverse sections of society, including transpersons, Indian Women’s Deaf Cricket Team, journalists, farmers, chefs, students, IndiGo Airlines, doctors, social media influencers, friends from Nepal and others making the Rashtriya Cricket League a truly unique coming together of people from different walks of life.

The occasion celebrated the grand launch of the Trophy, Logo and Jersey, and also the Press Conference of the Rashtriya Cricket League (RCL). The RCL is being played with a purpose beyond sport, using the popularity and spirit of cricket to create greater awareness around hunger, food wastage and the importance of ensuring that surplus food reaches people in need.

The press conference witnessed an extraordinary gathering of personalities from diverse communities, professions and backgrounds.

Among those present were social activist Maha Mandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, renowned actors Arun Bakshi, Avtar Gill and Abhinav Chaturvedi, Priya John, Principal of DPS, Indirapuram, Shark Tank contestant and farmer Jugadu Kamlesh, renowned chef Manjit Gill, Kajal, Captain of the Indian Women’s Deaf Cricket Team, Ratna Tamang from Nepal, social media influencer Aarav Chopra, Amit Kumar from IndiGo Airlines, Mr Anoop, journalists, Doctor Kulsaurabh Kaushik and representatives from different sectors.

The gathering symbolised the central philosophy of Hunger Free Bharat that the fight against hunger and food wastage belongs to everyone, irrespective of profession, community, background or social identity.

The press conference began with a reference to the appeal made by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his Mann Ki Baat programme on preventing food wastage, setting the tone for the event and reinforcing the importance of collective action against food wastage.

Hunger Free Bharat initiative aims to take this message from conversations to action by encouraging individuals, institutions, religious places, social organisations, corporates and communities to become part of the movement.

A major and much anticipated announcement made at the press conference was that the inaugural charity match of the Rashtriya Cricket League will feature a unique face-off between a team representing Sanatana Gurus and a team of Superstars.

Sanatan team will be led by Acharya Balkishan, while the Superstars team will be led by renowned actor Rakesh Bedi. The Superstar team will include celebrated personalities such as Vindu Dara Singh, Avtar Gill, Arun Bakshi, Raza Murad, Shahbaz Khan, Abhinav Chaturvedi, Sunil Pal, Banwari Lal Jhol and others.

The charity match will bring together personalities from completely different walks of life with one common objective supporting the cause of Hunger Free Bharat.

The coming together of Sanatana Gurus and Superstars on the cricket field will give the inaugural match a special significance and will demonstrate how cricket can become a powerful platform for humanity, compassion, service and social responsibility.

Speaking at the press conference, Arvind Kumar specially expressed his gratitude to Shri S. K. Tijarawala for his kind support in facilitating the seeking of blessings and participation of Sanatana Gurus in the initiative.
Arvind Kumar said that the presence and blessings of the Spiritual Gurus have added a special significance to the Hunger Free Bharat movement and that their support will help take the message of compassion, service and respect for food to a wider audience.

Speaking at the press conference, Arvind Kumar, Founder of the Rashtriya Cricket League and Hunger Free Bharat, thanked all the guests, participants and supporters for coming together on one platform.

He said: “For me, the most special part of today's event is seeing farmers, chefs, students, friends from Nepal, influencers, actors, sportspersons, journalists and representatives from different communities standing together on one stage for Hunger Free Bharat. This is exactly the spirit with which we started this movement.”

He added that the objective was not merely to organise another cricket tournament but to use cricket as a powerful medium to raise awareness about hunger and food wastage and encourage people to become part of the solution.

Arvind Kumar expressed his happiness that The Times of India has also come forward to support the Hunger Free Bharat mission through the “Brush Against Hunger” drawing competition for school students. He said that engaging thousands of students through art and taking a Hunger Free Bharat pledge in schools as well as at the National Stadium during the league will help take the message to the next generation and inspire young minds to stand against hunger and food wastage.

He thanked everyone who had come forward and said that the growing participation from different sections of society was a strong indication that Hunger Free Bharat is becoming a collective movement rather than belonging to any one community or organisation.

Actor Arun Bakshi said: “People have thought of cricket in many ways but turning every run into a message for Hunger Free Bharat is a thought I had never seen before.” He appreciated Arvind Kumar for making cricket a platform for humanity, compassion and service.

Renowned actor Avtar Gill welcomed the idea of bringing people from different walks of life together through the Rashtriya Cricket League. He said that the initiative provides an opportunity for celebrities, sportspersons and citizens to contribute to a meaningful cause and expressed his support for the message of reducing food wastage and helping people in need.

Maha Mandaleshwar Laxmi Narayan Tripathi expressed deep happiness at seeing members of the transpersons community becoming part of the Rashtriya Cricket League and standing shoulder to shoulder with people from different walks of life for the noble cause of Hunger Free Bharat. She said that for the transpersons community, being welcomed on such a diverse national platform is deeply meaningful, but more importantly, they are proud and happy to contribute to a mission that is about humanity, compassion and service.

She said that hunger does not distinguish between communities, and therefore the responsibility to serve those in need should also have no boundaries. She added that initiatives such as these help build a society where everyone has a place, everyone has a voice and everyone can contribute to the larger cause of humanity.
Priya John, Principal of Delhi Public School, Indirapuram, highlighted the importance of involving young students in social causes and said that children and educational institutions can play an important role in spreading awareness about responsible consumption and preventing food wastage.

Jugadu Kamlesh spoke about the importance of farmers and food producers in the food ecosystem and welcomed an initiative that connects the value of food with the responsibility of ensuring that it is not wasted.

Chef Manjit Gill emphasised the responsibility of the hospitality and food industry in reducing food wastage and ensuring that food is respected and responsibly utilised.

Journalist Anup appreciated the initiative of using a popular platform like cricket to take a social message to a much wider audience and said that the media can play an important role in creating sustained public awareness around Hunger Free Bharat.

Actor Abhinav Chaturvedi said that sport and entertainment have the ability to bring people together and expressed his support for using both platforms for a meaningful social cause.

Arvind Kumar also thanked Atul Wassan, former Indian cricketer for being the only cricketer from the fraternity to come forward and stand with the league and its cause from day one, supporting its efforts to be conducted with proper cricketing rules and professionalism.