Duleep Trophy History, Champions, Teams, and Format
The Duleep Trophy is a prestigious first-class cricket competition in India, governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Named after the legendary cricketer Duleep Sinhji, the trophy has been a significant tournament in Indian domestic cricket since its inception. The Duleep Trophy offers a platform for regional teams to showcase their talent.
The tournament is named in honor of Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji, a legendary cricketer who played for England in the early 20th century. He was known for his exceptional batting skills and had a profound influence on Indian cricket. The primary goal was to provide a competitive platform for the best cricketers from different zones of India to showcase their talent and compete at a high level. It aimed to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international standards, thus preparing players for international cricket.
Duleep Trophy Key Moments
1961–62: The Duleep Trophy was introduced to provide a competitive platform for India’s regional teams. The inaugural season saw West Zone defeating South Zone by ten wickets in the final held at Brabourne Stadium, Bombay (now Mumbai).
1962–63: West Zone continued its dominance by winning against South Zone by an innings and 20 runs, showcasing its strength early in the tournament’s history.
1965–66: South Zone claimed its first title, defeating Central Zone by an innings and 20 runs. This season marked a competitive shift in the tournament.
1970s-80s: The competition saw fluctuating success among different zones. South Zone and West Zone were particularly dominant during these years.
1993–94: The tournament transitioned to a league format, allowing teams to play each other multiple times before the final, which introduced a more comprehensive assessment of team strengths.
2002–03: The zonal teams were replaced by five teams representing different Ranji Trophy groups, but this format lasted only a single season.
2003–04: The competition reintroduced the original zonal teams with the addition of a guest team. England A was the first guest team, adding an international dimension to the tournament.
2009–10: The guest team format was discontinued, and the tournament reverted to the traditional zonal teams in a knock-out format until the 2014–15 season.
2016–17 – 2019–20: A new format was introduced with teams named India Blue, India Red, and India Green, competing in a round-robin format with pink cricket balls.
2020–21 – 2021–22: The tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022–23: The Duleep Trophy returned to its original zonal format with the addition of a new North East Zone, reflecting the growing cricketing talent in the region.
Duleep Trophy Teams and Zonal Division
| Zone | Teams |
|---|---|
| North Zone | Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Services |
| South Zone | Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu |
| Central Zone | Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Railways, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha |
| East Zone | Assam, Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa, Tripura |
| West Zone | Baroda, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Saurashtra |
| North East Zone | Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim |
Duleep Trophy Tournament Format
Knock-out Format: Initially, the tournament followed a knock-out format, where teams competed in elimination rounds.
League Format: From 1993–94 to 1995–96 and again from 2000–01 to 2002–03, the tournament was played in a league format, where teams played each other in a round-robin format before advancing to the finals.
Recent Formats: India Blue, India Red, and India Green Teams (2016–17 – 2019–20). The competition was held with three selected teams in a round-robin format, with day-night games and pink cricket balls.
Current Format: The tournament now follows a round-robin format with a final, featuring the original zonal teams and a newly added North East Zone.
Duleep Trophy Best Individual Records so far
Most Runs: Wasim Jaffer (2545 runs) holds the record for the most runs in the Duleep Trophy.
Most Wickets: Narendra Hirwani (126 wickets) is the leading wicket-taker in the competition’s history.
Highest Individual Score: Raman Lamba scored 320 runs, setting a record for the highest individual score in a match.
Best Bowling Figures in an Innings: Debasis Mohanty achieved figures of 10/46 in an innings.
Finals Appearances by Team
| Team | Wins | Appearances | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Zone | 18 | 33 | 50.00 |
| North Zone | 18 | 26 | 65.38 |
| South Zone | 13 | 23 | 52.17 |
| Central Zone | 6 | 16 | 34.37 |
| East Zone | 2 | 7 | 28.57 |
| India Blue | 2 | 3 | 66.67 |
| India Red | 2 | 4 | 50.00 |
| India Green | 0 | 1 | – |
