T
he two most prestigious tournaments of the year for an Indian cricketer were the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Trophy. The latter was even more significant, as consistent and valuable performances in it are what got one into the Rest of India side to play the Ranji Trophy champions. One was then, just a step away from attaining the dream of playing for the country.
The lines of the song by Whitney Houston, "Give me just one moment in time" one could say were so relevant for each player playing in it. Just one eye catching performance in the game was all that it took to leave a telling mark in the minds of the national selectors. One was, thereafter, very much in the reckoning for an Indian cap. For the established players, it gave them an opportunity to establish their credentials and view the next in line.
The team and players who truly benefited from the Irani Trophy was Bombay/Mumbai. Being national Ranji Trophy champions on so many occasions, the players automatically got a platform that could bring them into the limelight without making a substantial contribution in the domestic scene. Whereas, the rest of India players, in order to get selected, had to perform incredibly well to be there. That is why winning the Ranji Trophy tournament was so important, as players from the winning side had the opportunity to showcase their talent on the big Irani Trophy stage. This was normally the only match that was watched together by each and every Indian selector. One in which they could exchange their views and preferences.
The Duleep trophy ,on the other hand ,was fought on a zonal format. It comprised of players who had in their respective zones done consistently well. Each player was respected by their zonal teammates because of one's performance. There seemed to be an aura of camaraderie and self-respect that got evoked, as players would have done well in the matches played between them. There was a feeling of oneness and companionship amongst the players in each of the Zonal sides. This brought about a competitive spirit that led to each one fighting hard to win the trophy for their respective zone. A Duleep Trophy win was a significant milestone in a domestic players career and one that stood out quite prominently at the end of it.
Unfortunately, both the Duleep and Irani Trophy have become insignificant. The alphabetic symbol denoting the teams in the Duleep Trophy and the ready mix of players jumbled together in it has lost its very importance of what the tournament stood for. There was barely a celebration or concern, even in the press and multi-media platforms, after Team A's victory, recently. The 2024 tournament basically stood for individual performances, each player concerned only about himself. The basic values of teamwork, loyalty, oneness and playing for one another that is so important in sports were absent. It was a sad reflection to see a tournament that was established in 1961-62 dwindle from its high value to one just there to complete a ritual that had no weightage to it.
The Irani Trophy that was established in 1960 seems to be also going south in the same way. For it to be played when the national side is playing a Test series and a T20 one against Bangladesh shows the value that Indian cricket is giving to it.
The success of the T20 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) has further reduced the importance of both the Duleep and Irani Trophy. The Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 domestic tournament has become a far more important tournament for a domestic cricketer. A good performance in it, could lead one to becoming a part of an IPL franchise. From there, one could catapult into the national side and, if not, a good financial contract.
How one can boost both the Duleep and the Irani Trophy tournaments is, therefore, a very difficult task. With players more keen to play the shorter limited overs version of the game, the vision of an aspiring domestic cricketer to play any other format is significantly reducing. The local T20 tournaments that are being conducted by most state associations are further leading cricketers to concentrate and focus their sight on playing the bang bang version.
The Indian cricket scenario is changing drastically. The transformation is diminishing the value of playing the longer and more conventional form of the game.
One way maybe to revive the Duleep trophy would be to go back to the zonal format with all the top Indian cricketers playing in it. As regards the Irani Trophy, it requires to be given an important slot in the Indian cricket calendar, which would have relevance in the selection of the Indian Test squad.
The BCCI needs to come forth with a solution soon, or else, both the Duleep and Irani Trophy will remain a nondescript tournament in the Indian domestic cricket cycle.
(Yajurvindra Singh is a former India cricketer. The views expressed are personal)