Vidarbha will launch their campaign against Rajasthan in the inaugural match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Trophy at Indore on January 10.
Vidarbha team has been placed in Elite Group D along with hosts Madhya Pradesh, Services, reigning Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra and Goa. Vidarbha will have to play once against all the teams of the Elite Group D in the round robin league format.
The top eight teams after the completion of league stage will qualify for the knockouts, which will be held at Ahmedabad from January 26 to 31, 2021. The four quarterfinals (January 26 and 27), two semifinals (January 29) and grand final (January 31) will take place at the huge Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad.
All the 38 participating teams have been divided into six groups. While Indore will play host Elite Group D ties, Bangalore (Elite A), Kolkata (Elite B), Vadodara (Elite C), Mumbai (Elite E), and Chennai (Plate) will host their respective group outings. Domestic cricket giants Mumbai team will be in Group Elite E and the venue is Mumbai.
Indore leg of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played at the Holkar Stadium and the Emerald Heights International School grounds.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will start the domestic season 2020-21 with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The teams are required to assemble in their respective host cities on or before January 2, 2021, and will be needed to undergo Covid-19 testing procedures and quarantine in accordance with the state regulatory authorities.
Every player has to undergo three RT-PCR test before they begin their practice on January 8, 2021, said BCCI in a press release circulated to all the affiliated state units.
Groupings
Elite A: Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Railways, Tripura. Venue: Bangalore.
Elite B: Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Hyderabad. Venue: Kolkata.
Elite C: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Baroda, Uttarakhand. Venue: Vadodara.
Elite D: Services, Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa. Venue: Indore.
Elite E: Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Mumbai, Kerala, Puducherry. Venue: Mumbai.
Plate: Chandigarh, Meghalaya, Bihar, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh. Venue: Chennai.
Vidarbha’s schedule
January 10: Vidarbha vs Rajasthan (12 pm)
January 13: Vidarbha vs Saurashtra (12 pm)
January 15: Vidarbha vs MP (12 pm)
January 17: Vidarbha vs Services (7 pm)
January 19: Vidarbha vs Goa (12 pm).
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