The Duleep Trophy is one of the oldest and most important domestic tournament in Indian cricket. It has been an integral part of the Indian domestic set-up since its start. Cricketers from different parts of India can display their skill, talent and prove their performances in the Duleep Trophy.
The tournament has had various changes in its format since its start. However, it has remained as a very important part of the Indian domestic set up and will continue to remain as such.
All that you need to know about Duleep Trophy
The name of the Duleep Trophy is derived from Duleepsinhji. He is a legendary cricketer from India who played for England in the 1930s. He was one of the best cricketers of his time and had a sensational batting style. The tournament was named as such to honour him and serves as a very important cricketing tournament for the Indian domestic cricketers who are striving hard to succeed.
The Duleep Trophy 2024-25 tournament is set to begin from September 5, 2024
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) started the Duleep Trophy in the 1961-62 season. The teams represented the four geographical corners of the country: North, South, East, West, and Central.
Teams that participate in the tournament from the various zones are as follows:
North Zone: Includes Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, and Services.
South Zone: Includes Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, and Tamil Nadu.
Central Zone: Includes Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Railways, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Vidarbha.
East Zone: Includes Assam, Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Tripura.
North East Zone: Includes Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim.
West Zone: Includes Baroda, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mumbai, and Saurashtra.
Teams: It features regional teams or a mix of teams from different zones, often including a “Rest of India” team.
Knockout Stage: The tournament follows a knockout format, starting with quarterfinals, followed by semifinals, and a final.
Match Duration: The matches are four or five-day games, similar to Test cricket, allowing for a more traditional, long-format contest.
Points System: In earlier formats, a points system was used during the league stages, but in the knockout format, the winner of each match progresses.
Objective: The Duleep Trophy serves as a platform for domestic cricketers to showcase their skills in long-format cricket and is an important stepping stone for national team selection.
