The final will now have more than just sporting stakes, it will only serve to reaffirm to supporters the importance of Indian domestic cricket. (Image Credit: ANI)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally addressed the criticism surrounding Duleep Trophy, which is currently taking place, for not having any live coverage. The ongoing tournament commenced with a zonal format edition at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence, and the quarterfinals, for the most part, took place without any coverage. Many fans were furious that they could not see some of the top domestic players in action, and the disappointment was, at times, unfathomable.
The outrage on social media platforms resulted in many calling it ‘shameful,’ and ‘outrageous,’ particularly when you consider the public was upset to not have the previously mentioned domestic competition shown live, while several international players join the competition being Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, and Arshdeep Singh, to just name a few. This disappointment only increased when they factored in the Duleep Trophy was going to be treated differently to T20s and T20 like tournaments broadcasted regularly around the country.
With this pressure, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia acted promptly and assured followers the finals taking place from September 11 to 15 at the CEG Ground in Bengaluru, would be aired live. In his comments, he reaffirmed that the BCCI has a contractual obligation, which included 100 days of domestic cricket, and being tacitly implying, nothing is left out of the TV broadcast process for domestic cricket.
The intention of this statement is to calm down the fandom and to remind people that the BCCI cares about domestic cricket and wants to make it available for the fans. The Duleep Trophy, which has historically been a good place for emerging cricketers to show their play, was highly debatable even if there was some great performances including centuries from Yash Dhull and Ankit Kumar, debut performances from Danish Malewar in support of Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod.
In terms of domestic continuity, the Duleep Trophy final can now be looked at as not only a send off and finality around cricketing performance, but also a symbolic restoration of trust within fans. The onus is still on the BCCI to ensure more coverage in the future editions, certain policies of the BCCI may also need to change in keeping up with audiences expectations, and the history of the Duleep Trophy, as part of Indian cricket’s history and future.
Also Read: Mohammed Shami’s Duleep Trophy Return Cut Short By Fitness Trouble
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