BCCI Proposes A Shortened Domestic Season For The 2020-21 Season

The BCCI aims to keep a curtailed domestic season this year, presenting four options to the state associations. The COVID-19 outbreak has forced the BCCI not only to suspend every international fixture in India but also to postpone the domestic games in the nation. However, with the outbreak slowing down marginally, the Indian board has proposed to the associations four choices which they have to revert on by December 2nd.

In an email to all the BCCI affiliates as reported by the Hindu, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has specified four options to all of them. The choices include having only Ranji Trophy, only Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, both Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and finally staging Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Ranji Trophy, India’s first-class competition, was perhaps the last bit of domestic cricket in India back in March.

BCCI might have to formulate six bio-secure bubbles for hosting domestic cricket in India. The 38 teams across the domestic circuit would be divided in five elite groups and one plate group. The Elite Groups will comprise of 6 teams each while the Plate group will have 8 teams.

BCCI’s proposed timeframe and dates for all the tournaments:

Indian cricket board’s top boss Ranji Trophy will require 67 days, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 22 days and the Vijay Hazare Trophy 28 days for completion. On the other hand, the tentative dates are January 11 to March 18 (Ranji), December 20 to January 10 (Syed Mushtaq Ali) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (January 11 to February 7).

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