Sports

Duleep Trophy Returns to Zonal Format; India Unveils Schedule for White-Ball Series Against NZ

Published

7 months ago

June 16, 2025

Following a meeting on Saturday, the Apex Council of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the 2025/26 domestic season will kick off with the Duleep Trophy on August 28 and wrap up with the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy on April 3, 2026.

As part of the changes put forth by the Apex Council, both the Duleep Trophy and Senior Women’s Challenger tournaments will now feature six zonal teams selected by zonal selectors, marking a shift from the previous method where the national selection committee picked the squads. For this upcoming season, the teams will be selected by the Zonal Selection Committee in line with traditional practices.

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The Apex Council also announced new restructuring of the Plate Group across age categories. Under this structure, the bottom six teams from the previous season’s rankings will be placed in the Plate group for limited-overs tournaments, with only one team eligible for promotion or relegation between the Elite and Plate groups in the future.

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In the 2025/26 domestic schedule, the esteemed Ranji Trophy will remain in two phases. The first phase will commence on October 15 and conclude on November 19, followed by the second phase starting on January 22.

Regarding tournament updates, the Apex Council revealed that the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Senior Women’s T20 Trophy will now incorporate a Super League stage instead of a conventional knockout format. Each team will compete in three league matches, with the top teams from Groups A and B advancing to the final.

For new tournament group structures, major events like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Senior Women’s One Day Trophy, and Men’s U23 State A Trophy will adopt a model featuring four Elite Groups and one Plate Group. Most junior and women’s tournaments (U16, U19, U23) will shift to a structure of five Elite Groups and one Plate Group.

Additionally, the BCCI Apex Council has approved venues for India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, slated for early 2026. Vadodara, Rajkot, and Indore will host ODIs on January 11, 14, and 18, respectively.

In terms of T20Is, matches will take place in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram from January 21 to 31. These five T20I matches will serve as crucial preparation for both teams ahead of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka.

**Ranji Trophy Groups for 2025-26 season:**

**Elite A:** Tamil Nadu, Baroda, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, Nagaland

**Elite B:** Saurashtra, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Goa

**Elite C:** Gujarat, Haryana, Services, Bengal, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Assam

**Elite D:** Mumbai, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry

**Plate:** Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal

**India vs New Zealand men’s white-ball series schedule:**

**ODIs:** Vadodara (January 11), Rajkot (January 14), Indore (January 18)

**T20Is:** Nagpur (January 21), Raipur (January 23), Guwahati (January 25), Visakhapatnam (January 28), Thiruvananthapuram (January 31)

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Sports

Storm in the First Over: RCB Create New WPL Record

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.

This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.

Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.

During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.

With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.

In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.

This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.

Sports

Historic Test Debut in Guwahati as South Africa Reach 247/6 on Day 1

Published

2 months ago

November 23, 2025

Namma Kudla

On the first day of the second Test between India and South Africa at Barsapara Stadium, South Africa made a strong start, reaching 247 for 6 at stumps.The venue, Barsapara Cricket Stadium, hosted its very first Test match in history — making the day special for Guwahati and cricket in Assam.

South African skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat first.Their openers, Aiden Markram (38) and Ryan Rickelton (35), gave a solid start with a partnership of 82 runs.Later, Tristan Stubbs added 49 before getting out, while Bavuma made 41.

India fought back well thanks to a strong performance by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. He picked up 3 wickets and gave away only 48 runs in 17 overs.Ravindra Jadeja also chipped in with an important wicket, dismissing Bavuma. In the final over before stumps, Mohammed Siraj struck, getting Tony de Zorzi out.At the end of play, Senuran Muthusamy was unbeaten on 25, and Kyle Verreynne was 1 not out.

The light became a concern late in the day. As visibility dropped, play was stopped, and light issues forced the umpires to call it a day early.Overall, India ended Day 1 with a degree of satisfaction. The bowling attack showed discipline, especially through their spinners, and they managed to check the South African momentum.

Sports

India A Post 297/4 as Vaibhav Suryavanshi Smashes 144 Off 42 Balls

Published

2 months ago

November 14, 2025

Namma Kudla

India A began their Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 campaign with a huge total against the UAE in Doha. Captain Jitesh Sharma won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Suryavanshi then produced a stunning innings. He scored 144 runs from just 42 balls. His knock included 11 fours and 15 sixes.

Suryavanshi reached his fifty in 17 balls. He completed his century in only 32 balls. He added 163 runs for the second wicket with Naman Dhir, who made 34. Jitesh Sharma also played a quick innings and scored a fast fifty.

India A finished at 297 for 4 in 20 overs. The team now holds a strong position in the match.