Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases lately, the BCCI is looking to start its 2021-22 domestic season in September this year with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament.
According to a PTI report, the board has given a three-month window to the Ranji Trophy, which will be played from December. Notably, the prestigious first-class tournament had to be cancelled last season due to the pandemic.
While Ranji Trophy finds a place in the roster, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Irani Cup are not a part of the tentative calendar. Moreover, five women's competitions have also been dropped from the list.
The 2020-21 season was a severely curtailed one with only Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20 tournament) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (List-A tournament) being organized in the wake of pandemic. For women, only the National One-Day meet was staged.
Amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases, the BCCI is hopeful of carrying out the domestic season smoothly across age-groups in men and women's categories.
With India playing the T20 World Cup in October-November and the mega IPL auctions on the horizon next year, it is learnt that all stakeholders want to start off with two white-ball tournaments – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy between "mid-September to October" followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November.
Ranji Trophy 2021-22 has been planned between December and March.
Complete Calendars (tentative)
Men
Senior Men:
Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) (Mid Sept-Oct, '21)
Vijay Hazare Trophy (One Day) (November, '21)
Ranji Trophy (First-class) (Dec '21-Mar '22)
U-23 Men:
National U-23 One Day (Mid Oct-Nov, '21)
CK Nayudu Trophy (days format) (Dec, '21-March '22)
Boys' U-19:
Vinoo Mankad (One Day) (October, '21)
U-19 One Day Challenger (November, '21)
Cooch Behar (Multi Day) (Nov '21-Jan '22)
Boys' U-16:
Vijay Merchant Trophy (Multi Day) (October -December, '21)
Senior Women:
Senior Women's T20 League (October, '21)
Senior Women's One Day league (November, '21)
U-23 Women:
Women's U-23 T20 League (December, '21)
Women's U-23 One Day League (January, '22)
U-19 Girls:
U-19 T20 League (January, '22)
U-19 One Day League (last week of March, '22)
Inter Zonal University Cricket:
Vizzy Tropy (Men) (Aprl, 2022)
(Inputs from PTI)
