India's domestic season to kick-off in September; BCCI announces schedule
In a major development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for the upcoming domestic season. The 2021/22 season will commence with the Senior Women's One-Day League on September 21. Meanwhile, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will kick-off the men's domestic season on October 20. A total of 2,127 games will be played in the impending season.
Here are the details
As per the format, a total of 38 teams will participate in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. As many as 37 teams will feature in the Senior Women's One-Day and T20 leagues. The BCCI is yet to announce the details of venues and other logistical matters for the season, which will be held amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ranji Trophy will be played between November and February
The men's season will begin with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, which will run from October 20 to November 12. Meanwhile, the Ranji Trophy, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played between November 2021 and February 2022. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's 50-over tournament for men, will take place from February 23 to March 26.
Ranji Trophy was canceled for the first time
The Ranji Trophy was canceled for the first time since its inception in 1934/35. Notably, the tournament even took place even during World War II. In the last edition, Saurashtra beat Bengal in the final to win their first title.
A look at the women's domestic schedule
The women's One-Day Challenger Trophy will follow the Senior Women's One-Day League, from October 27 to 31. Besides, the Senior Women's T20 League is set to take place from March 19 to April 11. It remains to be seen if the 2021 edition of the Women's T20 Challenge gets underway this year. Notably, there is still no First-Class cricket scheduled for women this time.
What about Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup?
The Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup will not be held in the season due to packed calendar. Both FC competitions were not held last year too. The Duleep Trophy is played by three teams - India Red, India Blue, and India Green. Meanwhile, the Irani Cup is a one-off five-day match, played between the Ranji Trophy champions and a Rest of India side.
