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)