The Board of Control for Cricket in India is all set to replace the U23 one-day tournament with a T20 tournament, according to a report in PTI. While the state associations are yet to receive an official communication, the report stated that the new format might be implemented from the upcoming domestic season.
The latest edition of the tournament began in November and the final was played in December, with Tamil Nadu emerging victorious over Uttar Pradesh.
The tournament, known as the State A Championship, is contested across two divisions, Elite and Plate, in line with the structure followed in other men’s domestic competitions.
Tamil Nadu are the reigning Elite division champions after beating Uttar Pradesh in the final at Wankhede Stadium on December
1, 2025.
Meghalaya emerged champions of the Plate division after beating Mizoram in the final at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on November 19 last year.
The multi-day red-ball tournament is contested for the CK Nayudu Trophy, with Tamil Nadu clinching the Elite category title after beating Maharashtra in the final at Dindigul earlier this year.
Even at the junior age-group level, aspiring players don’t feature in any T20 competition, with the focus instead remaining on longer formats such as multi-day red-ball and 50-over cricket.
In recent years, since 2020, T20s have gained huge prominence across the world. Alongside Tests, T20Is have become the preferred white-ball format, while ODIs have taken a back seat.
T20s have also been included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, marking another significant step towards the sport’s global expansion.
With the format continuing to grow, developing players suited to T20s at the grassroots level has become important. But apart from the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India’s senior domestic T20 tournament, there is no dedicated T20 competition in the nation’s domestic structure.
