Duleep Trophy Back to Zonal Format in Bengaluru; Irani Cup Heads to Nagpur with Key Player Transfers Ahead of New Season

The much-anticipated Duleep Trophy is set to return to its classic inter-zonal format as it kicks off in Bengaluru from August 28 to September 15. Matches will be played at the Centre of Excellence grounds, and the tournament will follow a knockout structure featuring six zonal teams: South, Central, West, East, North, and North-East.

This year, the South and West Zones earn direct semifinal berths, while the quarterfinal clashes; North Zone vs East Zone and Central Zone vs North-East Zone; are scheduled between August 28 and 31. The semifinals will be held from September 4 to 7, culminating in the final starting September 11.

After various format experiments, including the A-B-C-D teams selected by national selectors between 2016-17 and 2019-20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reverted the tournament to the zonal approach following a decision at its latest Annual General Meeting. The event was also paused for two seasons due to the pandemic, making this return highly anticipated.

Meanwhile, the prestigious Irani Cup will be hosted in Nagpur as Vidarbha defends its Ranji Trophy title. The traditional five-day encounter pits the reigning champions against the Rest of India side. One story to watch is whether Karun Nair, part of Vidarbha’s last title-winning squad but recently shifting back to Karnataka, will turn out for his former team in this key match, though he has not been named in the South Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy.

In player movements ahead of the season, pacer Rasikh Salam has moved from Jammu & Kashmir to Baroda after clearing formalities with the JKCA. Alongside him, Jitesh Sharma, former Vidarbha player, joins Baroda as a professional. The Baroda Cricket Association has strengthened its women’s team too by signing experienced internationals Shikha Pandey and Poonam Khemmar, setting the stage for a competitive campaign.

With these shifts and the tournament’s format returning to its roots, India’s domestic cricket scene is poised for an exciting season of fierce competition and emerging talent.

                                               

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