Duleep Trophy

From Wiki Cricket

The Duleep Trophy tournament is a First class domestic cricket competition held in India every year.It was first played in the year 1961 and is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji Jadeja (also known as Duleep),Maharaja of Navanager.He played cricket for the England team and was considered as the best cricketer of those times.

The players in the tournament are categorised into 5 teams known as the North,South,East,West and Central zones.A sixth foreign team was introduced from the 2003/04 season.During the 2002/03 season the zonal teams were replaced by the Elite A,Elite B,Elite C,Plate A and Plate B teams divised from the Elite and the Plate teams that were formed for the Ranji Trophy that season.This format however lasted for only one season and were replaced by the Zonal teams again as the former lacked individual identity.

The format of the tournament is as that of the League .The North zone have been very successfull in this tournament having won the trophy 17 times and are the current winners of the trophy.They shared the cup once with the West zone team.