BCCI ne ek baar phir Duleep Trophy ko zonal format mein wapas laane ka faisla kar liya hai, jaise koi purana gaana naye speakers pe bajaya jaye! 2024-25 ke season mein char team wala experiment toh chala, par lagta hai state associations ko yeh tamasha pasand nahi aaya. India A, B, C, aur D ke naam pe khela gaya yeh tournament, jisme bade-bade stars jaise Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, aur Rishabh Pant dikhe, thodi si chamak toh layi, par state units bol uthi, “Bhai, hamare zone ke khiladiyon ko bhi mauka do!” Ab 2025-26 se wapas purana zonal format, jisme North, South, East, West, Central, aur North-East Zone aapas mein bhidenge. Yeh sunke lagta hai jaise BCCI ne socha, “Chalo, purani jeans hi sahi thi, nayi wali mein toh fitting hi nahi baith rahi!”
Lekin yeh wapas zonal format mein jana koi naya vichar nahi hai. Duleep Trophy ka yeh roop 1961-62 se 2014-15 tak chala tha, jab tak Rahul Dravid ne NCA ke head ban kar isse India Blue, Red, aur Green teams ke format mein badal nahi diya. Us waqt yeh soch thi ki national selectors ke haathon team banane se shayad bade khiladiyon ka talent aur dikh sake. Par ab lagta hai zonal format hi zyada dilchasp hai, kyunki isme har zone ke chhote-bade khiladiyon ko mauka milta hai. Yaad hai na, jab 2022-23 mein South Zone ne West Zone ko 75 runs se hara kar trophy uthai thi? Us match mein Ajinkya Rahane jaise bade khiladi ke saath-saath chhote states ke khiladi bhi chamke the. Yeh format chhote teams ko bhi apni pehchan banane ka mauka deta hai, na ki sirf bade shehron ke star players ko hi spotlight.
Ab baat karte hain white-ball tournaments ki, jahan Plate Division ki wapsi ho rahi hai. Vijay Hazare Trophy aur Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy mein ab Elite aur Plate groups honge, jisme pichhle season ke chhe neeche wale teams Plate Group mein khelenge. Yeh nayi vyavastha isliye laayi gayi hai taki bade teams aur chhote teams ke beech mismatch kam ho. Socho, jab Meghalaya jaise team ko Ranji Trophy mein elite division mein har match haarna pada, toh unke khiladiyon ka morale kaisa hoga? Plate Division un chhote teams ko ek mauka dega apne level pe compete karne ka, jahan se woh apni kabiliyat dikha kar Elite Group mein wapas aa sakte hain. Yeh thodi si ummeed ki kiran hai un khiladiyon ke liye jo bade teams ke saamne hamesha dab jaate hain.
Aur yeh Super League ka concept bhi kafi dilchasp hai! Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy aur Senior Women’s T20 Trophy mein ab traditional knockout ke bajaye Super League stage hoga, jisme har team teen match khelegi, aur Group A aur B ke top teams final mein bhidenge. Yeh format thoda sa IPL jaisa rang deta hai, jahan har match mein excitement hota hai. Yaad hai, jab 2019 mein Karnataka ne Vijay Hazare Trophy jeeti thi, aur Dinesh Karthik jaise khiladi ne chhote moments mein badi impact banayi thi? Aise hi chhote teams ke khiladiyon ko bhi ab apni chamak dikhane ka mauka milega. Women’s cricket mein bhi yeh format nayi energy layega, jahan teams jaise Bengal ya Railways ke khiladi apni kabiliyat dikha sakte hain.
Lekin thodi si khundak bhi toh banta hai. Yeh sab naye formats aur changes sunne mein toh ache lagte hain, par kya yeh sach mein chhote states ke khiladiyon ko utna hi mauka denge jitna bade stars ko? BCCI ka yeh zonal format wapas laana shayad ek purani galti ko sudharne ki koshish hai, par jab tak infrastructure aur coaching chhote states tak nahi pahunchta, tab tak yeh sab thodi si khokhli baatein hi lagti hain. North-East Zone ko dekho, kitne saalon se woh koshish kar rahe hain, par abhi bhi unke khiladiyon ko utna exposure nahi milta. Kahi yeh nayi vyavastha bhi sirf bade shehron ke khiladiyon ke liye ek aur stage toh nahi ban jayegi? Sochne wali baat hai, kyunki cricket ka asli rang tabhi dikhega jab har zone ka har khiladi apni kahani likh sake.
