Mohali to host Irani Cup

The season-opening domestic cricket tie for the Zal Irani Cup between reigning Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai and the Rest of India will be played in Mohali from October 22-26.

Central Zone and West Zone will host the 2004-05 season's Duleep Trophy and Deodhar Trophy tournaments respectively, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced in Mumbai on Saturday.

The Duleep Trophy Inter-Zonal tournament is scheduled between February 23 and March 19, 2005, and is inclusive of six league clashes and the final.

North Zone, West Zone and South Zone have been pooled together in Group I while East, Central and a visiting team (not yet decided) have been bunched together in Group II.

The Deodhar Trophy Inter-Zonal one-day tournament, which will precede the Duleep Trophy, will be played between January 23 and February 6.

West Zone associations will host to the All India Inter-State one-day knock-out tournament which is slated to be conducted between February 13 and 19.

West will also conduct the Challenger Trophy one-day tournament for which dates and venues would be announced  later.

The zonal one-day tournament will be played at one centre in each zone on a league basis and the zonal committees will chalk out the draws and venues.

The domestic calendar was finalized by BCCI's tour programmes and fixtures committee at its meeting in Mumbai on July 22.

The Ranji Trophy preliminary league for the Elite division will be conducted between November 7, 2004 and January 3, 2005. The Plate division ties will be organised from November 7 to December 16.

The Ranji Trophy semi-finals in both divisions will be conducted between March 24 and 28 while the finals will be held from April 5 to 9.

The detailed domestic programme for seniors is:

Jan 9-18, 2005: Zonal one-day tournament
Deodhar Trophy (to be played in West Zone):
Jan 23: South v Central; East v West
Jan 26: North v East; South v West
Jan 30: Central v North; South v East
Feb 2: Central v East; North v West
Feb 6: South v North; Central v West.
Feb 13-19: Inter-State all India knock-out, West Zone

Duleep Trophy (to be played in Central Zone):
Group I: North, West and South
Group II: East, Visiting Team, Central
Feb 23-26: North v West; East v Visiting Team
Mar 2-5: West v South; Visiting Team v Central
Mar 8-11: North v South; East v Central
Mar 15-19: Final.

Ranji Trophy:

ELITE DIVISION:

Group A: Mumbai, Railways, Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Andhra and Madhya Pradesh.

Group B: Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Baroda, Maharashtra and Punjab.

November 7-10: Mumbai v Railways, Railways (hosts); Bengal v Karnataka, Bengal; Gujarat v Delhi, Gujarat; Andhra v MP, MP; Punjab v UP, Punjab; TN v Hyderabad, Hyderabad; Assam v Baroda, Assam.

Nov 16-19: Mumbai v MP, Mumbai; Railways v Bengal, Railways; Karnataka v Gujarat, Karnataka; Delhi v Andhra, Delhi; Punjab v Assam, Punjab; UP V TN, UP; Baroda v Maharashtra, Maharashtra.

Nov 25-28: Mumbai v Andhra, Mumbai; Railways v Delhi, Delhi; Bengal v Gujarat, Bengal; Karnataka v MP, Karnataka; Punjab v Baroda, Punjab; UP v Assam, UP; Hyderabad v Maharashtra, Hyderabad.

December 4-7: Mumbai v Bengal, Bengal; Railways v Gujarat

Dec 4-7: Mumbai v Bengal, Bengal; Railways v Gujarat, Punjab v Maharashtra, Punjab; Hyderabad v Baroda, Baroda; TN v Assam, Assam.

Dec 13-16: Mumbai v Gujarat, Mumbai; Railways v MP, MP; Bengal v Andhra, Bengal; Karnataka v Delhi, Delhi; Punjab v TN, TN; UP v Hyderabad, Hyderabad; Assam v Maharashtra, Maharashtra.

Dec 22-25: Mumbai v Karnataka, Mumbai, Railways v Andhra, Andhra; Bengal v Delhi, Bengal; Gujarat v MP, Gujarat; Punjab v Hyderabad, Hyderabad; UP v Maharashtra, Maharashtra; TN v Baroda, Baroda.

Dec 31-Jan 3: Mumbai v Delhi, Mumbai; Railways v Karnataka, Karnataka; Bengal v MP, Bengal; Gujarat v Andhra, Andhra; TN v Maharashtra, TN, Hyderabad v Assam, Hyderabad; UP v Baroda, UP.

PLATE DIVISON:

Group A: Orissa, J and K, Kerala, Saurashtra, Himachal and Bihar.

Group B: Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Services, Vidarbha and Rajasthan.

November 7-10: Orissa v J and K, J and K; Kerala v Himachal, Kerala; Bihar v Saurashtra, Rajkot; Haryana v Tripura, Tripura; Goa v Services, Services; Vidarbha v Rajasthan, Vidarbha.

Nov 16-19: Orissa v Kerala, Kerala; J and K v Bihar, Bihar; Himachal v Saurashtra, Himachal; Haryana v Goa, Haryana; Tripura v Vidarbha, Vidarbha; Services v Rajasthan, Services.

Nov 25-28: Orissa v Himachal, Himachal; Kerala v Bihar, Bihar; J and K v Saurashtra, Rajkot; Haryana v Services, Services; Goa v Vidarbha, Goa, Tripura v Rajasthan, Rajasthan.

December 4-7: Orissa v Bihar, Bihar; J and K v Himachal, J and K; Kerala v Saurashtra, Kerala; Haryana v Vidarbha, Vidarbha; Tripura v Services, Tripura; Goa v Rajasthan, Rajasthan.

Dec 13-16: Orissa v Saurashtra, Rajkot; Himachal v Bihar, Bihar; J and K v Kerala, Kerala; Haryana v Rajasthan, Rajkot; Services v Vidarbha, Services; Tripura v Goa, Tripura.

March 24-28: Semi-finals of Elite and Plate division

April 5-9: Finals of Elite and Plate division.