BCCI Announces India’s Domestic Season For 2021-22

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announces the return of Domestic Cricket in India, for the upcoming 2021-22 season.

The Domestic season will commence from September 21 with the Senior Women’s One Day League, as per BCCI’s press release.

A total of 2127 domestic games will take place this season across various age groups in the men’s & women’s category. The BCCI will host the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the senior men’s category.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will kickstart on October 20, 2021 with the final on November 12, 2021.

The coveted Ranji Trophy, which was cancelled last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will also take place in a three-month window from November 16, 2021 to February 19, 2022.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy will take place from February 23, 2022 to March 26, 2022.

The BCCI will also host age-group tournaments for Men:

Col C K Nayudu Trophy and Men’s State A One Day for U23, Vinoo Mankad Trophy and Men’s Under 19 One Day Challenger for Under 19 and Cooch Behar Trophy and Vijay Merchant Trophy for Under 16.

For Women’s category, the BCCI will host two One-Day tournaments and a T20 League for Women’s Senior apart from the age group One Day and T20 Leagues.

Domestic Cricketers under Financial Distress

As majority of the tournaments did not take place last season, the domestic cricketers are under a major financial strain. The BCCI had promised a compensation package, but is yet to make any announcement about the same.

Vidarbha Skipper Faiz Fazal said to the Indian Express,

“Every first-class cricketer who doesn’t play the IPL is finding it frustrating. Payment for the cancelled Ranji season should be a priority (of the BCCI). International cricketers are getting their salaries and players in the IPL will get their money, but what about first-class cricketers? We really depend on this income. We don’t have ads or big contracts to rely on.”