Domestic season to start with Duleep Trophy in Sept; toss abolished for C.K Nayudu Trophy as BCCI unveils home fixtures

Mumbai, June 6 (IANS) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday unveiled the domestic cricket calendar for the 2024-25 season, which will start with the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, on September and will be followed by the Irani Cup and first few rounds of Ranji Trophy. For the first time in the history of the sport in the country, there will be no toss conducted at the start of matches in the CK Nayudu Trophy. 

"In an innovative move, the toss will be abolished for CK Nayudu Trophy matches. Instead, the visiting team will be vested with the privilege to elect whether to bat or bowl first," the BCCI informed in a release on Thursday.

The domestic home season 2024-25 has been meticulously planned, taking into account multiple factors to fortify the core of domestic cricket while prioritizing player well-being, the release said.

"The season will commence with red-ball cricket, featuring the prestigious Duleep Trophy. Four teams selected by the Senior Men’s Selection Committee will compete in the Duleep Trophy, starting in Anantapur on September 5. This will be followed by the Irani Cup and the Ranji Trophy, featuring the first five league matches," the BCCI informed. The Irani Cup will be played from October 1-5 in Mumbai while the Ranji Trophy will be played on a home and away basis.

These first few events will be followed by white-ball tournaments, beginning with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in November-December, followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Ranji Trophy, which will played on a home and away basis, will then resume with the final two league matches, culminating in the knockout stages.

The BCCI said that an extended gap between matches has been incorporated to prioritise player welfare, ensuring ample time for recovery and sustained peak performance.

The BCCI also informed the start of multi-day domestic matches for women in the 2024-25 season. It said that all Women's challenger tournaments, spanning one-day, T20, and Multi-Day formats, will witness teams selected by the national selectors.

The CK Nayudu Trophy will introduce a revamped points system aimed at fostering balanced performances. This will include 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.

A thorough review will be conducted post-season to evaluate the efficacy of the new points system, with a potential implementation in the Ranji Trophy for subsequent seasons.

There will be no toss conducted at the start of the matches.

The BCCI informed that efforts have been undertaken to mitigate the impact of weather disruptions on fixtures.