Irani Trophy

There is nothing like Cricket in India. It is much more than mere sports in the country. People are simply crazy about this game. Not only at the international level but even at the gully level cricket in India you may get to see plethora of talented players. Standards of domestic level cricket in India are also many times equivalent to the first class international matches. Such domestic tournaments are not only awaited by the panel of selector for the national team but also by all those cricket lovers who understand the finest details of this game. Organized by BCCI, Irani Trophy is one such domestic cricket tournament in India. Read on to explore more about it.

History
The first official domestic cricket tournament in the country was Ranji which started in 1934-1935 season. As the passion of domestic cricket attracted a pool of players, after the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship, the panel of BCCI decided to mark its silver anniversary by starting another such tournament at the domestic level. Named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from its inception in 1928, till his death in 1970, the board started the Irani Trophy in 1959-60. However the tournament could not take place in the following years-1960-61, 1961-62, 1964-65 and 1979-80.

Pattern of Match
In the very beginning it was decided that the game would be made more challenging and interesting. The concept was made true by making the previous year's Ranji Trophy winners and the Rest of India Team play for the trophy. In the initial few years, it was played at the fag end of the season. Realizing the significance of the game, the BCCI moved it to the opening of the season. Since 1965-66, it has been an indicator of the beginning of the new domestic season. The first match of the Irani trophy was played between Ranji Trophy champions Bombay and the Rest of India in 1960 where the team of Bombay emerged victorious by virtue of the first innings lead.

Significance
In the domestic matches, the Irani Trophy is one of the most important as well as popular cricket tournaments. It is awaited by the keen observers of the game. Highly talented players participate in the game and the exhibition of talent is extraordinary as this tournament is often a sort of selection trial to pick the Indian team for foreign tours. In the last season of 2008-2009, it was won by the Rest of India team beating the previous year champions of the trophy- the Delhi team.

Irani Trophy Statistics