It turned out to be a Super Sunday for all the Indian cricketers as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the much-needed and much-anticipated news for kick-starting the delayed domestic season.The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 cricket tournament is scheduled to be played from January 10 to 31 in six different states where bio-secure hubs will be created, the BCCI has informed the state units on Sunday.
The national governing cricket body said that decision on Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy one-day cricket tournaments will be taken later. Once the group stage of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy gets over, all the stakeholders will be consulted for the next course of action.In February 2021, there is also the possibility of players’ auctions being held for the fourteenth edition of the IPL.“After having gone through your responses and in accordance with the feedback received, I am pleased to inform you that BCCI is planning to start the domestic season 2020-21 with the scheduling of the T20 tournament for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote to state units.“By Saturday, January 2, 2021, teams will have to assemble in their respective hub. From Sunday, January 10, 2021, tournament will start and the final will be played on January 31, 2021,” Shah informed all the state units through an email.
Shah, however, said that a decision on traditional four-day Ranji Trophy and the 50-50 Vijay Hazare Trophy will be taken once the group stage of the Mushtaq Ali gets over. Feedback from members will be factored in.“BCCI will subsequently seek feedback from the members on organising any other domestic tournament after the group stage of Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy,” he stated.“The members are requested to factor a subsequent tournament in their planning and make arrangements accordingly,” Shah wrote.It is understood that Mushtaq Ali is being held because the BCCI wants to have a mega players’ auction in early February ahead of the next IPL which may have nine or 10 teams.As far as one more tournament is concerned, it could well be the Vijay Hazare Trophy instead of the longer format Ranji Trophy as it can be organised in a shorter span of time like Ali T20 Trophy.
