BCCI announces domestic calendar for 2024-25 season; Ranji Trophy to start Oct 11

The BCCI has announced the calendar for Indian domestic cricket season 2024-25 with the Duleep Trophy set to begin the season from September 5 in Anantpur. Moreover, the board has decided to hold the Ranji Trophy in two phases with white-ball tournaments happening in between.

Ranji Trophy, the premier red-ball tournament in India, will end in March 2025 before the Indian Premier League (IPL). Interestingly, the BCCI has decided to trial the new points system in the U23 cricket tournament – CK Nayudu Trophy. The tournament will also see the toss being abolished with the visiting team set getting to choose what they’d want to do

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If all goes well, the new points system will also be introduced in the Ranji Trophy. “This includes the attribution of points for batting and bowling prowess in the first innings, alongside points for securing the first innings lead or achieving an outright victory,” the BCCI said in a statement.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20 tournament) will now be played between November and December which will closely be followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy that is set to start in December and end in January before the resumption of the Ranji Trophy.

“To prioritize player welfare, an extended gap between matches has been incorporated, ensuring ample time for recovery and sustained peak performance,” said the statement.

Challenger Trophy returns for Women

For women’s cricket, the Challenger Trophy, where teams are handpicked by selectors, comes as a significant addition. The Challenger Trophy was last played in the ODI format in 2021-22 and in T20 format in 2022-23.

The multi-day tournament which was reintroduced in a zonal format in 2023-24 will now be played as a Challenger Trophy instead. “All Women’s challenger tournaments, spanning one-day, T20, and multi-day formats, will witness teams selected by the national selectors,” said the BCCI.