ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2015

Thus the stage was set for Karnataka’s victory in the final to claim the Trophy for the eighth time – more than anyone else apart from Mumbai. Karnataka went on to complete an outstanding season by repeating its 2013/14 feat of comfortably defeating the Rest of India in the Irani Cup (although on both occasions this achievement was somewhat devalued by the selection of a weak and experimental side to represent the Rest). The only batsman, apart from Rahul, to exceed a thousand runs for the season was another Karnataka man, Robin Uthappa, with 1158 at 50.34; in Ranji matches alone, he was the top run-scorer with 912 at 50.66. The leading wicket-takers in the Trophy, with 48 apiece, were yet another Karnataka player, the medium-pacer Vinay Kumar, and Shardul Thakur of Mumbai; in all first-class matches they claimed respectively 55 at 21.09 and 57 at 22.66 and were the only bowlers to take fifty wickets. An announcement by the BCCI in July 2015 means that Central Zone’s dramatically-snatched win in the Duleep final will be rewarded with an indefinitely lengthy reign as champions. The Duleep Trophy will not take place in 2015/16. In some ways this was a logical decision, inasmuch as it has been obvious for some years that the Duleep Trophy has ceased to fulfil its original function of bridging the gap between the Ranji sides and the national team. Moreover, the five zones that contest the Duleep are now of questionable relevance: they were originally based on the structure of the Ranji Trophy, but the Ranji last used the zonal system as long ago as 2001/02. Increasingly, therefore, the Duleep Trophy lacks contemporary significance. Although the BCCI was careful to specify that its decision to suspend the Duleep applies to the 2015/16 season only, there must be considerable doubt whether the Trophy has a future. If it has, it will surely have to be refreshed in some way that will give it greater relevance to the first-class game as played in India today. (JCB) Abandoned Matches Indian Board President's XI v West Indians, Modi Stadium, Kanpur, October 25, 26, 27. India v West Indies (1st Test), Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, October 30, 31, November 1, 2, 3. India v West Indies (2nd Test), M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, November 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. India v West Indies (3rd Test), Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, November 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. These four matches were cancelled when West Indies players refused to continue the tour. 89 India in 2014/15