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Read on to know about Duleep Trophy, Indian cricket tournament

Duleep Trophy

Duleep Trophy is a first-class domestic cricket championship played in India between various teams representing different geographical zones of the country. Like other domestic games like Ranji and Irani, this cricket tournament is also very popular cricket tournament in the country, not only from the selector�s point of view but also from a cricket lover�s view point. The Duleep trophy is popular amongst players as this game not only provides them opportunity to exhibit their talent but also make their team a proud champion amongst the various regional teams of the country. The game was started with a perspective of creating a popular domestic tournament on the lines of Ranji Trophy.

History
Named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinghjee, an outstanding personality in first-class cricket, this competition was started by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the 1961-62. This competition in last four decades has not only raised the standards of domestic cricket but along with Ranji and Irani, it has also helped in keeping the activeness of cricket alive on the domestic grounds. It has completely fulfilled its basic objective to facilitate a proper review of the Indian players by ensuring their involvement in premier domestic tournaments. The opening tournament of this Duleep trophy was won by West Zone who defeated South Zone in the final of the tournament by 10 wickets. By now, the North Zone has been the most successful team in the Duleep Trophy with 17 trophies.

Pattern of the Game
This trophy started as a competition between various cricketing zones in the country. The teams are - North Zone, Central Zone, East Zone, West Zone and South Zone which were divided according to their geographical location on the Indian Map. It was played in a knock-out format among the five zonal teams before the 1993-94 seasons, after which the competition was rechristened into a league format. In 2002-2003, one more experiment was done and the teams were divided on elite and plate pattern, very similar to the Ranji pattern. However, this pattern was to be replaced again with the original team pattern as new teams complained of the loss of identity in this kind of format. Now again the Duleep trophy is played between the five geographical zones of the country along with a sixth team which is called a �guest team�. The sixth team is generally a foreign team offered to play a domestic tournament in India.

Year Winning Zone
2007-08 North Zone
2006-07 North Zone
2005-06 West Zone
2004-05 Central Zone
2003-04 North Zone
2002-03 Elite C
2001-02 West Zone
2000-01 North Zone
1999-00 North Zone
1998-99 Central Zone
1997-98 Central Zone / West Zone (Joint)
1996-97 Central Zone
1995-96 South Zone
1994-95 North Zone
1993-94 North Zone
1992-93 North Zone
1991-92 North Zone
1990-91 North Zone
1989-90 South Zone
1988-89 North Zone / West Zone (Joint)
1987-88 North Zone
1986-87 South Zone
1985-86 West Zone
1984-85 South Zone
1983-84 North Zone
1982-83 North Zone
1981-82 West Zone
1980-81 West Zone
1979-80 North Zone
1978-79 North Zone
1977-78 West Zone
1976-77 West Zone
1975-76 South Zone
1974-75 South Zone
1973-74 North Zone
1972-73 West Zone
1971-72 Central Zone
1970-71 South Zone
1969-70 West Zone
1968-69 West Zone
1967-68 South Zone
1966-67 South Zone
1965-66 South Zone
1964-65 West Zone
1963-64 West Zone / South Zone (joint)
1962-63 West Zone
1961-62 West Zone