The Duleep Trophy will return to its traditional zonal format when it opens the 2025-26 Indian domestic season on August 28.
This was one of several changes ratified by the BCCI's Apex Council on Saturday. Other key decisions include the introduction of a Super League phase in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and the Senior Women's T20 Trophy, and the creation of a Plate Division for the domestic 50-overs tournaments as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Last season, the Duleep Trophy had been contested by four teams - India A, B, C and D - picked by the national selectors ahead of a hectic Test season. The tournament featured the country's top players facing off in a round-robin format. However, starting this season, the tournament will return to a zonal system, with the six squads (North, South, East, West, Central and North-East) to be selected by the respective zonal committees, as was the case in the 2023-24 season.
The key reasons for return to the zonal system, according to a senior BCCI official, are to "foster a better standard of cricket" and "give players a sense of pride in representing their zone, as against the current system that only puts the focus on individual performances."
Meanwhile, the senior men's (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and women's T20 competitions will feature a revamped structure, with a Super League phase introduced after the group stage.
Following the initial round, in which 32 teams will be divided into four groups of eight, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super League. In this phase, each team will play three matches, with the top two teams progressing to the final.
In an equally significant move, the BCCI has reintroduced the plate division for all "major tournaments such as Vijay Hazare Trophy, Senior Women's One-Day Trophy, and Men's U-23 State Trophy."
This move, the BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo, seeks to "prevent dilution in quality of the tournament and prevent the possibility of mismatches." The six bottom-placed teams from the 2024-25 season will make up the plate divisions of the respective tournaments.
As in 2024-25, the Ranji Trophy will be split into two phases, with the white-ball competitions played in between. This move is primarily aimed at minimising weather disruptions, particularly in northern and eastern India.
Fixture clash with Women's World Cup
The start of the women's season is set to clash with the 2025 Women's 50-over World Cup that will be hosted by India (four venues) and Colombo from September 30 to November 2.
The Senior Women's T20 Trophy (Elite) is scheduled to take place from October 8 to 31, followed by the Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy from November 4 to 14. After that, the domestic season will pause for two-and-a-half months to make way for the fourth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL), which is likely to be held in January 2026.
The Senior Women's One-Day Trophy (Elite) will then follow, from February 6 to 28, with the season concluding with the Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy from March 20 to April 3.