Having taken charge as BCCI president last month, Sourav Ganguly had expressed his keenness to improve India’s domestic structure. And now batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has put forward his idea to enhance the same. 

Tendulkar wants Ganguly to initiate a revamp of the Duleep Trophy as players competing in the event seem more focussed on individual performances than their teams.

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The Master Blaster feels that team bonding is missing from the four-day competition, which can be restored by bringing in four Ranji Trophy semi-finalists along with two teams of promising U-19 and U-23 players.

“I want him (Ganguly) to consider looking at the Duleep Trophy...I feel Duleep Trophy is one tournament where one is getting to hear that players are possibly more focused on their own performances and what the next tournament is and they play accordingly,” Tendulkar told PTI in an exclusive interaction.

“For instance if there’s an IPL auction, or an upcoming T20 tournament or one-day, players end up playing in that mode and not for their team or looking at the need of the hour,” he said.

Soon becoming the BCCI chief, Ganguly convinced India and Bangladesh to play pink-ball Test and then left no stone unturned to organise it.

As the former captain gearing up for BCCI’s first Annual General Meeting on Sunday (December 1), Sachin wants him to spare some focus on Duleep Trophy.

“This is one change I would like to see because cricket has always been a team sport. It is all about team spirit bonding and playing together as a team. Not as individuals,” he said.

Elaborating his idea on how to revamp the Duleep Trophy, Tendulkar said: “Top four Ranji teams and there should be two more teams because there would be a number of teams with talented individuals but which did not qualify. You pick these players from various teams, also promote talented age-group players from Under-19 and Under-23.”

“If there’s someone exceptionally talented U19 then you can look at those players. Bring them and have this tournament together. So you have got the best of both. You have got four leading Ranji teams who have been playing together,” he continued.

(With PTI inputs)