How many domestic cricket tournaments are there in India?

The Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Trophy, and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy are just a few of the domestic competitions in India that are organised by the BCCI. The biggest cricket league in the world, the Indian Premier League, is a T20 competition comprising clubs from various cities.

Unlike other cricketing nations, like England, who travel and play overseas in the winter and at home in the winter, India’s international cricket does not adhere to a set calendar. The Indian squad, one of the best in the world, has won two ICC World Cups, one ICC World Twenty 20, two ICC Champions Trophies, and finished second in the first ICC World Test Championship.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was originally planned to be held in India in 2021. However, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic’s spread in India, the ICC moved the event to the United Arab Emirates. The host country for the 2023 Cricket World Cup will be India.

The domestic competitions that are held in India are as follows:

1. Ranji Trophy

The Ranji Trophy has been India’s premier domestic cricket competition since 1934. A.S. De Mello, the head of the Indian Cricket Board of Control, came up with the concept. The Cricket Championship of India, the event’s previous name, was changed in commemoration of Ranjitsinhji, the first Indian cricketer to compete worldwide. In the competition, round-robin play is followed by knockout rounds. There are two categories, the plate league and the elite league, each with 38 teams that will compete in the Ranji Trophy.

Relegations and promotions occur at the end of every season. Bombay is the most successful Ranji Trophy squad, with a total of 41 teams, while Saurashtra is the reigning champion.

2. Duleep Trophy

When the Ranji Trophy group stages had become so predictable and Bombay had won 15 consecutive championships, the first Duleep Trophy was staged during the 1961–1962 season. Duleepsinhji, a former cricketer, inspired its name. The BCCI established the East, West, South, North, and Central Zones to increase the level of competition in the premier tournament. Initially, the format was knockouts; however, during the 1993–1994 season, a league structure was introduced. The event is no longer based on zones and only three teams—India Red, India Blue, and India Green—play. India Red is currently the Duleep Trophy winner.

3. Deodhar trophy

Simply put, this is the Duleep Trophy’s List A version. The Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket, D.B. Deodhar, is honoured by the Deodhar Trophy. India A, B, and C are the competitors in the round-robin knockout version of the competition. Initially, the teams were split up into geographical zones, similar to the Duleep Trophy, but for the 2018–19 season, this was modified to these three teams. The North Zone has won the most championships in Deodhar Trophy history.

4. Irani Cup

In 1959–1960, as a part of the Ranji Trophy’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, the Irani Cup was created. The defending Ranji Trophy winner plays the rest of India in a single first-class match for this trophy. Z.R. Irani was a BCCI founding member and a legend in Indian cricket history. The board decided to honour the late legend by naming the cup after him as a result. Although Vidarbha is the current champion and has won the Irani Cup thrice, the Rest of India is the most successful team in the competition’s history.

5. Vijay Hazare Trophy

One of India’s finest cricketers, Vijay Hazare, was honoured by the BCCI by having the trophy named in his honour during the 2002–03 season. After the round-robin group stages, playoffs will decide the winner. In contrast to the Ranji Trophy circuit, the Vijay Hazare Trophy competition is fiercely competitive. The event is one of the most exciting domestic competitions, despite the fact that Tamil Nadu has the most titles (five), since teams from Mumbai, Karnataka, Gujarat, Saurashtra, and other states are all potential title rivals.

6. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy started soon after the inaugural IPL season and attracted a lot of interest from Indian fans who had just recently entered the T20 era. India’s domestic T20 tournament with the most teams competing is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In addition, all 38 Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy participating teams took part in this competition. One of the most noticeable aspects of the T20 format is its unpredictable nature. No team has won the championship more than twice in the last 13 seasons, according to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. For Indian states with little history in cricket, it offers an excellent platform.

7. Indian Premier League

The IPL, which started as an Indian version of the T20 Blast and Big Bash, has grown into the top T20 league competition. There are currently eight teams in the IPL, which features some of the best international players and provides a platform for bright Indian children to pursue their aspirations of playing cricket. In a double round-robin league phase, all eight teams compete, with the top four teams moving on to the playoffs. An auction will be held each season to assist teams in improving their lineup and bolstering their weak spots. As a result, the IPL’s T20 cricket is arguably of the highest calibre ever.

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