If reports are to be believed, then the BCCI is readying itself to bring back the prestigious Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup, while a full Ranji Trophy season is also on the cards for the upcoming domestic season.
The Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup have not taken place for at least three seasons, while the BCCI had to cancel the Ranji Trophy for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Ranji Trophy was held but in a curtailed form.
These things were discussed during the BCCI apex council meeting on Thursday, where the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly announced that a full domestic season will take place in 2022-23.
The domestic season is expected to begin with the men's senior season with the Duleep Trophy, which is likely to be played from September 8. It is also considering hosting the Irani Cup from October 1-5.
The options to host Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the Ranji Trophy were also discussed. While the Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) could take place from October 11, the Vijay Hazare Trophy (the ODI format) is expected to take place from November 12.
The Ranji Trophy could start on December 13, while its knockout matches could be played from February 1.
Amongst the formats being discussed, there could be four groups of Eight Elite teams and one group of six plate teams in the Ranji Trophy. This will allow each team to play at least seven matches like earlier times in the Group stage. In order to win Ranji Trophy, a team will need to play a minimum of 10 matches which makes the tournament more competitive.
Apart from this, the BCCI is also discussing increasing the prize money for domestic tournaments including Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and others.
With the revised numbers, winners of the Ranji Trophy will now earn ₹ 2 crores. The increment is supposedly in the wake of the stupendous sale of IPL media rights for ₹48,390 crores.
“The Apex Council has decided to give powers to office bearers to decide on the revised prize money," a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
One of the most game-changing decisions taken at the apex council meeting was that the Ranji Trophy will also have DRS in place from the next season starting in December 2022. The umpiring in the latest edition of the tournament was highly criticized due to a series of four decisions.
“The BCCI has agreed in principle to have the DRS system in place for next season. If everything goes smoothly, the BCCI will have a DRS system for all live games," the daily quoted the official.
Ranji Trophy will also re-introduce the elite and plate groups in the upcoming edition. While 32 teams will be divided into four elite groups, the remaining six teams will be placed in the Plate group.
However, as an impact of the ODIS losing its sheen at the international level, the board has decided to drop its List-A tournament, the Deodhar Trophy from the calendar. The domestic season will start with the Duleep Trophy in September 2022. A women’s under-16 category will also be introduced in the next season.
(PTI/ Indian Express inputs)
