How many cricket leagues are there in india
Cricket is not just a sport in India, it’s an emotion that binds the diverse nation together. Almost every child in this country must have hit a ball with a makeshift bat at least once in their life. The craze of cricket and the sizeable market for this sport has led to proliferation of local leagues all around the country conducted throughout the year.
The Indian Premier League (IPL)
The first league to be extensively commercialised was The Indian Premier League (IPL), started in 2008. This event brings players from across the globe making it one of the most exciting sporting events. IPL has seen unmissable action, right from nerve-wracking thrillers to some heart-breaking defeats, creating unforgettable moments.
Structure of the IPL
The IPL is made up of 10 teams representing different cities within India. Each team plays each other twice in a home-and-home round-robin format in the regular season and, four top point acquiring squads move forward into playoffs.
Ranji Trophy
While IPL takes much of hype, one cannot ignore the historical significance of Ranji Trophy – named after a prince who played cricket for both England & India. Started way back in 1934, required immense talent and hard-work leaves no room for flashy play here as only pure class survives.
Structure of Ranji Trophy
Ranji trophy matches are played between various states in India with promotion and relegation happening among three groups: Elite Group A and B (eight teams each), Elite Group C (ten teams) and Plate Group (nine teams). It’s often referred to as domestic Test Cricket tournament where young talents prove their mettle.
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Vijay Hazare Trophy
Named after Vijay Hazare, an influential figure in pre-independence cricketing history, this tournament is similar to the Ranji trophy in terms of participating teams but it’s played with white ball and has one-day format.
Structure of Vijay Hazare Trophy
Vijay Hazare Trophy is structured exactly like Ranji Trophy involving states from all over India. It’s often referred as domestic ODI cricket tournament because of its limited overs gameplay. Many cricketers use this platform to present themselves before IPL auctions.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Another significant cricket league is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, a T20 competition that precedes the IPL auction providing chance for talented youngsters to impress scouts from various franchises who wish to play for them in upcoming season.
Structure of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
It also follows structure similar to aforementioned ones. Teams are divided into five Elite groups & one Plate group. This trophy holds high relevance owing to its timing which collides with preparations before grandeur like IPL starts.
While these represent prominent leagues, there are many others such as Duleep trophy, Deodhar trophy and a plethora of age-group tournaments in the country offering opportunities for aspiring players at different levels. Women’s cricket too have been growing with tournaments such as Senior Women’s One Day League and Women’s T20 Smash gathering attention recently.
Cricket leagues in India run deep into their society. Aspiring talents from remote parts come up through district-level matches then make appearances in state selection games hoping to get an opportunity on national or international stage someday. The enormous craze around cricket makes going through tough path worth for countless enthusiasts across the nation making it possible for Indian Cricket team having top-notch quality consistently and being among best squads globally.
