The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the calendar for the domestic season 2024-25. Duleep Trophy is the first tournament to get underway in the upcoming domestic season and it will be played in Anantpur. Moreover, the board has decided to hold the Ranji Trophy in two phases with white-ball tournaments happening in between.
Ranji Trophy, the premier red-ball tournament in India, will end in March 2025 before the Indian Premier League (IPL). Interestingly, the BCCI has decided to trial the new points system in the U23 cricket tournament - CK Nayudu Trophy. If all goes well, the new points system will also be introduced in the Ranji Trophy. "This includes 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," BCCI said in a statement.
Moreover, the board has also listened to the concerns raised by the cricketers during the previous season with the major one being less gap between two Ranji Trophy matches. This time around, the BCCI will make sure that the teams get enough time to recover between matches. "To prioritize player welfare, an extended gap between matches has been incorporated, ensuring ample time for recovery and sustained peak performance," the statement further added.
Another major change the 2024-25 domestic season could witness is that the toss will be abolished to balance the home advantage with the away team getting the option of choosing to bat or bowl. Two other major white-ball tournaments - Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20 format) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (One-Day format) - will take place from November 2024 to January 2025 with the Ranji Trophy resuming in the same month.
As far as Women's cricket is concerned, the board has decided to reintroduce Challenger Trophy with the selectors handpicking players for different teams. "All Women's challenger tournaments, spanning one-day, T20, and multi-day formats, will witness teams selected by the national selectors," the BCCI added in the statement.
