The Indian domestic cricket season 2024-25 will begin with the Duleep Trophy on September 5, the BCCI announced on Thursday. (More Cricket News)
The BCCI unveiled the fixtures for 2024-25, which have been planned taking into account multiple factors to fortify the core of domestic cricket while prioritising player well-being.
The season will commence with the 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.
That will be followed by the white-ball tournaments, beginning with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and then the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The Ranji Trophy will then resume with the final two league matches, culminating in the knockout stages.
While scheduling the domestic season, the BCCI has given priority to player well-being, women's cricket and other important tournaments.
"To prioritize player welfare, an extended gap between matches has been incorporated, ensuring ample time for recovery and sustained peak performance," BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement.
"All Women's challenger tournaments, spanning one-day, T20, and Multi-Day formats, will witness teams selected by the national selectors."
Besides, the CK Nayudu Trophy will witness a revamped points system aimed at getting balanced performances. 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.
"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," Shah said.
In a landmark move, the toss will be abolished for the CK Nayudu Trophy matches.
Instead, the visiting team will be given the privilege to elect whether to bat or bowl first.
