After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to host the Duleep Trophy tournament this year, in a new format with just four teams going head to head, talks are now being focused on the fact that when the tournament will be scheduled. According to sources the BCCI is planning to host the competition in the third or last week of August. The Duleep Trophy 2016-17 which the BCCI said will also see top players featuring in it will be played with the Pink ball and therefore there has been a lot of hype around its scheduling. The BCCI as the look of it wants the First-class tournament to be played before India play a home Test series against New Zealand, but will the monsoon season be the perfect time for it? ALSO READ: BCCI: Duleep Trophy 2016-17 will witness day-night Test
The Duleep Trophy was cancelled last year due to a busy calendar as well as the BCCI’s conflicts and matters. But this year as well, the BCCI’s task of hosting the tournament under lights, at proper venues and with the Pink ball, might again be a tough task. Only recently, the BCCI made its decision of scheduling a Mini IPL overseas in the month of Spetember, when its working committee met in Dharamsala. The Test series at home against New Zealand also begins in the last week of September. ALSO READ: Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and other top Indian Test cricketers to play Duleep Trophy with pink ball?
With a tight schedule already, a number of BCCI officials are questioning the purpose of holding the tournament in the rainy season. A senior functionary asked – “We understand that there is a tight schedule. But what is the point of having a tournament just for the sake of it?,” as quoted by Cricbuzz.com.
Among the venues too, the BCCI is thinking of having two shortlisted ones. One of them could be Kolkata where a 4-day Test was organised under lights by the CAB, between Mohun Bagan and Bhawanipore Club. Meanwhile, if the tournament is played on a knock-out basis it might still take 13 days to complete.
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