Rahul Dravid suggests review of India’s lengthy domestic season

India men’s head coach Rahul Dravid has called for an “all-round review” of the country’s long domestic season which had been recently called out by the likes of R Sai Kishore and Shardul Thakur.

The Ranji Trophy, India’s domestic red-ball competition, that commenced in January has had players shuttling across the country for matches with only three-day breaks in between. Ranji finalists Mumbai and Vidarbha, who are playing the final at the moment, would have played as many as ten first-class games in just over ten weeks.

The senior men’s domestic calendar kicked off in June 2023, with the Duleep Trophy, the zonal first-class tournament. The schedule has been relentless since the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition, began in October.

Responding to a query on what the board can do to address concerns, Dravid acknowledged how “tough” the season can be for domestic players and wanted a relook at whether some of the tournaments are “necessary in this day and age”.