Domestic Calendar: BCCI plans to start Ranji season in December; no Irani, Duleep Trophy this year
New Delhi: The BCCI plans to kick-start its 2021-22 domestic season in September this year with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament and has also allocated a three-month window to the Ranji Trophy from December after the marquee event had to be cancelled last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy and Irani Cup are not a part of the tentative calendar prepared by the cricket operations team. Apart from this, five women's competitions have also been dropped from the roster.
PTI has accessed the tentative domestic calendar prepared and discussed at the Apex Council meeting held on Friday.
The 2020-21 season was a severely truncated one with only the National T20 (Mushtaq Ali) and ODI (Vijay Hazare Trophy) championships being held in the wake of pandemic. For women, only the National One-Day meet was organised.
Amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases across India, the BCCI is still hopeful of conducting the domestic season across age-groups in men and women's categories after a curtailed last season.
With India playing the T20 World Cup in October and the mega IPL auctions in the offing next year, it is understood that all stakeholders want to start off with two white ball tournaments -- Mushtaq Ali T20 between "mid-September to October" followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy in November.
Ranji Trophy, India's premier tournament which was cancelled for the first time in 87 years in 2020, has been planned between December and March in the upcoming season.
The BCCI has also slotted the U-23 tournaments for men and women along with the U-19 events which weren't held during the last season.
The performances in the U-19 One Day Challenger tournament along with Cooch Behar Trophy (days format) and Vinoo Mankad trophy (one day) will help in selection of India colts team for ICC U-19 World Cup next year.
Women's T20 as well as ODI Challenger Trophy will not be played along with these events' under-23 versions. The under-19 women's T20 Challenger Trophy will also not be played.
Complete Calendars (Tentative)
Men
Senior Men
=======
Syed Mushtaq Ali (T20) (Mid Sept-Oct, '21)
Vijay Hazare Trophy (One Day) (November, '21)
Ranji Trophy (First-class) (Dec '21-Mar '22)
U-23 Men
======
National U-23 One Day (Mid Oct-Nov, '21)
CK Nayudu Trophy (days format) (Dec, '21-March '22)
Boys' U-19
=======
Vinoo Mankad (One Day) (October, '21)
U-19 One Day Challenger (November, '21)
Cooch Behar (Multi Day) (Nov '21-Jan '22)
Boys' U-16
=======
Vijay Merchant Trophy (Multi Day) (October -December, '21)
Senior Women
=========
Senior Women's T20 League (October, '21)
Senior Women's One Day league (November, '21)
U-23 Women
========
Women's U-23 T20 League (December, '21)
Women's U-23 One Day League (January, '22)
U-19 Girls
=======
U-19 T20 League (January, '22)
U-19 One Day League (last week of March, '22)
Inter Zonal University Cricket
Vizzy Tropy (Men)
(Aprl, 2022).
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
