The BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE), headed by batting legend VVS Laxman, is set to organise a four-day intra-COE tournament in June and July, featuring 64 of the country’s most promising cricketers under the age of 25, including teenage stars like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ayush Mhatre.
According to PTI, this is aimed at identifying and grooming a new generation of red-ball players as the BCCI tries to correct the unprecedented dip in results for the senior men’s team in the format.
The tournament will see the selected players divided into four squads of 16. Each team will play two multi-day matches under varied pitch conditions for exposure to different challenges and match scenarios. Performances in these games will play a key role in shaping
future India A and Emerging team selections.
The report said the selection pool will include 25 players chosen by the junior selection committee based on performances in domestic age-group tournaments such as the Cooch Behar (Under-19) and CK Nayudu (Under-22) competitions.
Another 25 players will be picked by the senior selection panel from those who have excelled in domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but are not part of the IPL. The remaining 14 spots will be filled by young players currently involved in the IPL, ensuring a balanced mix of exposure and experience within the group.
The broader plan also includes overseas exposure. Following the IPL, India’s Under-19 and Emerging squads are expected to tour Sri Lanka for more four-day matches, the report claimed. Selection for these tours will be based largely on performances in the intra-COE tournament.
Importantly, the BCCI has directed coaches and selectors across all levels to prioritise red-ball cricket over the next year. A core group of around 25 players will eventually be identified to form the backbone of India A and Emerging teams, creating a strong pipeline for the national Test side.
Gautam Gambhir’s ‘transition’ worry
This comes after India head coach Gautam Gambhir attributed the team’s failures, especially the two whitewashes at home to South Africa and New Zealand to the red-ball side being in ‘transition’. Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rohit Sharma, among others have retired or phased out in quick succession.
