Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has informed all the State Associations about the squad composition and qualification rules for the start of India’s domestic cricket season. The prestigious Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy which is all set to start from January 10.
“Each team can have a maximum of 20 players and 10 support staff. Each team should have a team physician to manage Covid-19 related issues. The team physician is separate from the team physiotherapist and is inclusive of the 10 support staff.” the statement read.
“The health and safety of all members of the teams, match officials, and state association staff members is central to our planning for the upcoming domestic season. Whilst Covid-19 has changed the way the domestic season will be conducted, measures and systems are being implemented across travel, accommodation, training and matches to ensure that we can deliver the domestic season in a Covid-19 safe environment.” The statement further read.
Shah also informed announced the idea of having a mixed group for the upcoming season. The teams will divide in five Elite and one Plate group, this has been done on the basis of the previous season’s Ranji Trophy rankings so that it remains consistent across formats. The top five teams based on points have been split across the five Elite groups. Similarly, the teams ranked sixth to 10th position have been put in the Elite groups, till the 28th spot.
“The top two teams from the Plate group of last year have been considered in the Elite group to achieve the balance of six teams per Elite group. The Plate group is of eight teams,” Shah added.
