How many domestic cricket tournaments are there in India?

BCCI organises domestic tournaments in India, including Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Trophy, and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. The Indian Premier League, the largest cricket league in the world, is a T20 tournament with teams from different cities.

India’s international cricket does not follow a regular schedule like that of other cricketing nations, like England, who travel and play abroad in the winter and at home in the winter. One of the best cricket teams in the world, the Indian team has won two ICC World Cups, one ICC World Twenty 20, two ICC Champions Trophies, and placed second in the first ICC World Test Championship.

The initial idea was for India to host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021. The tournament was relocated to the United Arab Emirates by the ICC, however, as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic’s spread in India. India will serve as the 2023 Cricket World Cup’s host nation. 

The following are the domestic tournaments that are organised in India:

1. Ranji Trophy

Since 1934, the Ranji Trophy has served as India’s top domestic cricket competition. The idea was initiated by A.S. De Mello, the chairman of the Board of Control of Cricket in India. Originally known as the Cricket Championship of India, Ranjitsinhji, the first cricketer from India to play cricket internationally, was honoured with a tournament name change. Round-Robin play is followed by knockout rounds in the competition. The plate league and the elite league are the two categories, in which they are split into 38 teams which will take part in the Ranji Trophy.

Every season ends with promotions and relegations. With a total of 41 teams, Bombay is the most successful Ranji Trophy team, while Saurashtra is the current champion.

2. Duleep Trophy

The first Duleep Trophy was played in the 1961-1962 season, when the Ranji Trophy group stages had become so predictable and Bombay had won 15 consecutive championships. It was named after the former cricketer Duleepsinhji. The East zone, West Zone, South Zone, North Zone and the Central Zone were created by the BCCI in order to make the first-class tournament more competitive. In the beginning, the format was knockouts, but after the 1993-1994 season, it changed to a league structure. Today, only three teams-India Red, India Blue and India Green- play in the event, which is no longer zone-based. The winner of the Duleep Trophy right now is India Red.

3. Deodhar trophy

Simply put, this is the List A edition of the Duleep Trophy. The Deodhar Trophy is named after D.B Deodhar, the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket. The competition has a round-robin knockout format with India A, B, and C competing. Initially, the teams were divided according to geographical zones, as in the Duleep Trophy, but this was changed to these three teams for the 2018-19 season. In Deodhar Trophy history, the North Zone has won the most titles.

4. Irani Cup

The Irani Cup was established in 1959-60 as part of the Ranji Trophy’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. This trophy consists of a single first-class match between the defending Ranji Trophy champion and the rest of India. Z.R Irani was a legend in Indian cricket history and a founding member of the BCCI. As a result, the board paid respect to the late legend by naming the cup after him. The Rest of India is the most successful team in Irani Cup history, although the defending winners are Vidarbha, who have won the tournament for the second time. 

5. Vijay Hazare Trophy

Vijay Hazare was one of India’s greatest cricketers, and the BCCI honoured him by naming the trophy after him in the 2002-03 season. Following the round-robin group stages, the winner will be determined via playoffs. The Vijay Hazare Trophy event, in contrast to the Ranji Trophy circuit, is extremely competitive. Though Tamil Nadu has the most titles (5), teams from Mumbai, Karnataka, Gujarat, Saurashtra, and other states are also possible title challengers, making the event one of the most thrilling among domestic competitions. 

6. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy began shortly after the first IPL season and drew a lot of attention and interest from the Indian fans, who were just getting into the T20 era. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is India’s largest domestic T20 championship in terms of teams participating. All 38 Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy teams competed in this competition as well. Unpredictability is one of the most notable features of the T20 format. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy assures that no team has won the title more than twice in the past 13 seasons. It is a fantastic platform for states in India with limited cricket tradition.  

7. Indian Premier League

The IPL, which began as an Indian alternative to the T20 Blast and Big Bash, has evolved into the premier event among T20 leagues. The IPL currently has eight teams and contains some of the top international talents as well as a stage for brilliant Indian kids to live their cricket dreams. All eight teams compete in a double round-robin league round, with the top four teams advancing to the playoffs. Every season, an auction will be held to help teams enhance their lineup and shore up their weak points. As a result, the quality of T20 cricket in the IPL is perhaps the best it has ever been. The incumbent champions, Mumbai Indians, are the most successful IPL team, having won their fifth title in IPL 2020.

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