From the land of Birbal, don't write off the Rewa boys

Rewa is where the first white tiger Mohan was found, it is also where Birbal was born. But this small town has changed and come a long way. It is the home of Avadesh Pratap Singh University, the unknowns in the Toyota University Cricket Championship.

Naveen Tiwary, the captain of the team, hates to be treated as underdogs or rank outsiders. "We come from an obscure place and have battled several odds. We have fought through financial crisis, but we are tough cricketers," he says.

Only through financial help from outside, the Avadesh University boys participated in the Rohinton Baria Trophy where they lost to Mumbai. It was a reality check on the kind of cricket expected in the TUCC.

Come February 25, the East Zone representatives will be playing their first match against Madras University. Excited and eager to give their best, the Rewa boys don't want to just make up the numbers.