Duleep Trophy returns to inter-zonal format, set to begin August 28 in Bengaluru

The Duleep Trophy will return to its traditional inter-zonal format this season and is scheduled to take place in Bengaluru from August 28 to September 15. The tournament will be played in a traditional knockout format at the Centre of Excellence grounds, featuring six zones: South, Central, West, East, North, and North-East.

South Zone and West Zone have already received direct entries into the semifinals. The two quarterfinals, North Zone vs East Zone and Central Zone vs North-East Zone, will open the tournament from August 28 to



31. The semifinals are slated for September 4 to 7, with the final scheduled to begin on September 11.

Notably, the Duleep Trophy underwent several format changes in recent years. From 2016-17 to 2019-20, the competition featured four teams labelled India A, B, C, and D, formed by national selectors. The zonal format was restored in the 2022-23 season but briefly replaced again by the A-B-C-D model last year. Following a BCCI decision at its last Annual General Meeting, the tournament has now officially reverted to the zonal format.