Duleep Trophy back to round robin format

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's 2000-2001 season will commence with the traditional Zal Irani Cup match between the 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai and the Rest of India team at the Wankhede stadium from October 13 to 17.

The Programmes & Fixtures Committee of the BCCI, which met in Mumbai on Wednesday brought back the round robin format for the Duleep Trophy for the coming season and also reduced the duration of the matches from the present five to four days. The other significant change in the tournament format for the forthcoming season is that the matches are to be held on a rotation basis held in different zones instead of being held in one zone.

The tournament, played on an inter-zonal league basis till last season, will now be played on a knock out basis. Apart from this the tournament, which will be held from January 4 to February 6, has been made mandatory for all the cricketers under the BCCI contract to participate.

The other significant change is that the Ranji Trophy Super league has been scrapped and instead 15 teams (three teams qualifying from each zone) are to qualify for the knock out round of the tournament directly from the zonal league stage. The knock out stage, to be held from March 8 to April 29, will consist of seven pre-quarter-final matches, four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final.

The zonal one-day league has now been segregated from the Ranji Trophy league and from next season will be conducted at a single venue instead of preceeding the four day Ranji games. The matches are to be held at one venue in each of the five zones and the top teams from each zone will qualify for the Wills Trophy imited overs tournament.

South Zone has been alloted the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy limited overs tournament for the coming season. The tournament featuring the India Seniors, India A and India B is to be played from October 13 to 17. The Wills Trophy is scheduled to be played from December 25 to 31 in the West Zone. The Deodhar Trophy will be held from Dec 15 to 21 in the Central Zone.

The 2000-2001 domestic programme:

Senior tournaments: Oct. 13-17: Zal Irani Cup (Ranji Trophy winner, Mumbai vs Rest of India) at Mumbai. Oct. 19-22: NKP Salve (Challenger) Trophy, South Zone. Oct. 26-Jan. 10, 2001: Ranji Trophy (league phase). Dec. 1-10: Ranji Trophy (one-dayers at one venue). Dec. 15-21: Prof. DB Deodhar Trophy (Zonal limited overs knockout), Central Zone. Dec. 25-31: Wills Trophy (limited overs) West Zone. Jan. 4-Feb. 6: Duleep Trophy (league basis). March 8-April 29: Ranji Trophy (knockout).

Junior tournaments: Sept. 15-Nov. 20: Cooch Behar Trophy (under-19, league phase). Dec. 1-20: Cooch Behar Trophy (knockout) West Zone. Dec. 25-Jan. 9: Col. CK Nayudu Trophy (Zonal) East Zone. Jan. 11-13: Vinoo Mankad Trophy, East Zone. Jan. 17-20: MA Chidambaram Trophy (Cooch-Behar Trophy winner vs Rest). Nov. 24-Dec. 27: Vijay Merchant Trophy (under-16, league phase). Jan. 1-16: Vijay Merchant Trophy (knockout) East Zone. Jan. 25-Feb. 9: Vijay Hazare Trophy (Zonal) South Zone. Feb. 12-14: Polly Umrigar Trophy, South Zone. Feb. 18-20: Madhavrao Scindia Trophy (Winner Vijay Merchant Trophy vs Rest). Oct. 20-Nov. 22: under-14, league phase. Nov. 24-Dec. 27: under-22, league phase. Feb. 1-10: Vizzy Trophy.