A Glance at Domestic Cricket In India

Domestic cricket in India has witnessed some of the most memorable moments since the game was introduced by the British and the first match was played between local Indian merchants and British sailors. Calcutta Cricket Club was founded in 1792, while Madras and Bombay formed their clubs later.

Maharaja of Nawanagar Ranjitsinhji played for England, and India started its first domestic tournament in 1934 in his remembrance by naming it the Ranji Trophy. Since then, many tournaments have been introduced in the Indian domestic circuit.

The domestic cricket has helped Indian cricketers grow technically and temperamentally. On that note, let’s look at the structure of domestic cricket in India.

Ranji Trophy 

The First Ranji Trophy game was played in November 1934 between Madras and Mysore, where Madras won by an innings and 23 runs at Chennai.

The first Ranji Trophy season was won by Mumbai. Since then, Mumbai has won the trophy 47 times, Karnataka 8 times, Delhi 7 times, and Baroda 5 times.

Right now, 38 teams compete in the premier first-class competition split across 4 elite groups and a plate group.

Duleep Trophy

The Duleep Trophy began in 1961, and it was an interzonal tournament with 5 zonal teams as participants. But in 2016, some changes were made, and it consisted of 3 teams: India Red, India Green, and India Blue.

But in 2021, the interzonal system was again introduced, with 5 zonal teams — East Zone, West Zone, South Zone, North Zone, and Central Zone — competing along with a new North East Zone. West Zone has won the tournament 19 times.

Irani Trophy

The Irani Trophy was introduced in 1959-60, and it is played between the winners of that particular Ranji Trophy season and the Rest of India team, which consists of players from other first-class teams. The rest of India has won the trophy 26 times.

Vijay Hazare Trophy

It is a 50-over tournament that began in 2002-03, consisting of 38 teams, which is played in round robin format and later on the playoffs. Tamil Nadu has won the tournament 5 times.

Deodhar Trophy

It is also a 50-over zonal tournament, with the North Zone winning the tournament 13 times while the West Zone has won it 12 times. The inaugural season was held in 1973-74.

From 2015-16 to 2019-20 seasons, the Deodhar Trophy was played between India A, India B, and India C teams. In the 2016-17 season, Tamil Nadu, the winners of the Vijay Hazare trophy that season, featured as the third team.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

It is a T20 tournament consisting of 38 teams divided into 5 groups. Tamil Nadu has won the tournament 3 times.

The tournament first began in 2006–07, when it was called an interstate tournament.

Buchi Babu Tournament

The tournament began in memory of Mothavarapu Venkata Mahipathi Naidu, consisting of 12 teams divided into 4 groups of 3 teams each. It is a four-day tournament, and it began in 1909.

Under-25, Under-19, & Under-16 Multi-Day Games

Apart from this, the Colonel CK Naidu Trophy, which is an under-25 tournament, is held. Also, the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy and Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy at the junior level.

Domestic Cricket for Women Cricketers in India

With women’s cricket growing rapidly globally, Indian women’s cricket has got a big boost and gained popularity.

The Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, equivalent to the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament, is organised for women cricketers, while the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal competition is held and consists of six zones.

There is also a T20 tournament named the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy. Alongside this, the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy is also held where four teams namely India A, India B, India C, and India D participate.

Apart from this, junior under-23, Under-19, and Under-15 50-over tournaments are held and women’s Under-23 and Under-19 T20 Trophy are also held.

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