MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has announced the first winner of its Pepsi Badaa Shikari Hunt contest. Akshay Wattal is the chosen youngster who will lead the Indian Cricket team onto the grounds, for its first match at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 in South Africa.

The contest launched last month, in association with Hero Honda and Pantaloons, was to give six young lucky winners an opportunity to lead the Indian team onto the grounds.

According to an official release, the hunt, currently promoted by MAX, Nickelodeon and MTV, has received more than 250,000 entries from young cricket fans.

The first winner, hand picked by Pepsi and Nickelodeon, Akshay - a standard nine student of St. George's School, Delhi- will lead the Indian team in its very first match against Holland, on 12 February.

The search is on for the next five youngsters till 19 February. There are autographed goodies including sling bags, team shirts and stumps with posters to be won, says the release.