Domestic season to begin with Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy set to return

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) plans to start the domestic season with the Duleep Trophy, and hopes to bring back the Deodhar Trophy after a hiatus.

According to the tentative schedule prepared by the Board for the 2023-24 season, which  Sportstar has seen, Duleep Trophy is expected to be held between June 28 and July 16. In an interesting development, the Board also plans to start the Deodhar Trophy, which was culled for the last three seasons due to COVID-19, from July 24 to August 3. 

The tournament, which hasn’t been held since 2019, is expected to be played in a zonal format. While venues are yet to be finalised, it could be held in Bengaluru or Tamil Nadu as other regions witness heavy rains around that time.

Once the monsoon is over, the Irani Cup will be held from October 1 to 5 with Saurashtra taking on Rest of India. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is expected to be played between October 16 and November 6, while the Vijay Hazare Trophy will begin on November 23.

The Ranji Trophy, the premier four-day tournament, is set to begin on January 5 and wind up by March 14, according to the tentative schedule. “The Board plans to start the season a bit early in a bid to accommodate all the tournaments. The office-bearers and the logistics team are working in tandem to ensure that the process is smooth and all the tournaments can be fitted in,” a Board insider said. 

The women’s domestic cricket season will begin with the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, which will be played from October 19 to November 09, 2023.

It will be followed by the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Trophy – to be played from November 24, 2023 to December 04, 2023. The 2024 will begin with the Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy, which will commence on January 04, 2024 and the final of the same will be played on January 26, 2024.