The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially relocated the Duleep Trophy final from Bengaluru to the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that the move was motivated by a desire to ensure the general public can attend the match, which is set to feature several of the nation’s premier cricketers.
While the tournament’s two quarterfinals and two semifinals will take place at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, Saikia noted that government restrictions at that facility prevent public attendance. Consequently, the board opted to shift the championship match to Chennai to accommodate spectators. The five-day final is scheduled to begin on September 6.
The inter-zonal red-ball competition kicks off on August 23 with two simultaneous quarterfinals: East Zone versus North East Zone, and North Zone versus West Zone. The subsequent semifinals are slated to start on August 30. While the quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested over four days, all tournament matches will be live-streamed, with television broadcasts planned for select fixtures, including the final. Central Zone enters the tournament as the defending champions following their victory over South Zone in last year’s final.
