The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has launched a new domestic red-ball competition aimed at identifying and developing the country’s next generation of Test cricketers. The Emerging Men’s Tournament will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru from July 4 to July 26.
The competition will feature four teams, with each side playing three four-day matches in a round-robin format. The initiative is designed to give India’s most promising young cricketers extended exposure to first-class cricket, helping selectors assess their temperament and skills in the longest format.
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Leading the four teams are some of India’s brightest Under-25 prospects. Punjab’s Uday Saharan, who captained India to the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final and now leads his state side, will captain Team A. Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as the team’s mentor, while Sourashish Lahiri will serve as assistant coach.
Team B will be captained by Karnataka batter Smaran Ravichandran, who has become a regular performer in domestic cricket over the past two seasons. Former India spinner Ramesh Powar will head the coaching staff, assisted by Anshu Jain.
Delhi’s Yash Dhull, captain of India’s victorious 2022 Under-19 World Cup team, has been entrusted with the leadership of Team C. Meanwhile, Himateja K will captain Team D under the guidance of former India pacer Debasish Mohanty, with Vinit Indulkar as assistant coach.
By organising the tournament exclusively at the Centre of Excellence, the BCCI hopes to closely monitor the performances of emerging players in red-ball cricket. The initiative reflects the board’s continued emphasis on strengthening India’s Test cricket pipeline by providing talented youngsters with quality match experience and expert coaching.
