The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to begin its 2021-22 domestic season in September with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. the board meanwhile, has also allocated a three-month window for the Ranji Trophy, which will be held from December after being cancelled last season due to the pandemic.
The Ranji season was cancelled for the first time in 87 years in 2020.
However, the Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Irani Cup are not a part of the tentative calendar prepared by the cricket operations team.
Similarly, five women’s tournament have also been scrapped from the calendar .
Significantly, only the Mushtaq Ali and the Vijay Hazare Trophy was held in the last season due to the pandemic and only the National One-Day meet was organised for the women.
Despite the country witnessing a second COVID-19 wave, the board is hopeful of conducting the domestic season across age-groups in men and women’s categories.
The board meanwhile, has also put the U-23 tournaments for men and women along with the U-19 tournaments, which weren’t held in the last season.
The performances in the U-19 One Day Challenger tournament along with Cooch Behar Trophy (days format) and Vinoo Mankad trophy (one day) will help the board in selection of India colts team for the ICC U-19 World Cup, which is slated to be held next year.