Duleep Trophy 2025: Bengaluru to Witness High-Stakes Cricket, South and West Zones Get Direct Semifinal Entry

The Duleep Trophy 2025 is all set to take place in Bengaluru from August 28 to September 15, returning to its traditional inter-zonal format. The tournament will follow a knockout structure and be hosted at the Centre of Excellence grounds. Six zones-South, West, Central, East, North, and North-East-will compete for top honours.

In a key development, South Zone and West Zone have been seeded directly into the semifinals. The quarterfinals, scheduled from August 28 to 31, will feature North Zone vs East Zone and Central Zone vs North-East Zone. The semifinals are set for September 4 to 7, followed by the final on September 11.

Historic Format Returns

The tournament previously used zonal teams until 2016-17 before switching to teams named India A, B, C, and D until 2019-20. The BCCI reverted to zonal play in 2022-23, made a brief shift last year, and now officially returns to the zonal format after its Annual General Meeting (AGM) decision. The Covid-19 pandemic had caused the event to be paused for two seasons.

Irani Cup 2025 to Be Held in Nagpur

Meanwhile, Nagpur will host the Irani Cup 2025, as Vidarbha, the defending Ranji Trophy champions, face Rest of India in this five-day fixture.

Player Movements Ahead of the Season

There's buzz around Karun Nair, who won the Ranji Trophy with Vidarbha last season but has now moved back to Karnataka. Despite his return, he hasn't been picked for the South Zone squad.

In another shift, Rasikh Salam has transferred from Jammu & Kashmir to Baroda, joining Jitesh Sharma, who has moved from Vidarbha as a professional.

Women's Cricket News

The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has signed Shikha Pandey and Poonam Khemmar to strengthen its women's senior team for the upcoming domestic season.

Duleep Trophy 2025: A Tournament to Watch

With star players, zonal pride, and exciting matchups, the Duleep Trophy 2025 is expected to deliver top-tier cricket action. As teams prepare for intense competition on Bengaluru's pitches, fans can look forward to two weeks of thrilling inter-zonal clashes.