Cricketing activity in India is massive, with several national-level tournaments played all over the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) looks after these tournaments, with the task of finding the upcoming cricketers to represent India at the global level.
There is one tournament that has seen many stars ply their trade for the state teams. Which tournament?
The Vijay Hazare Trophy. It’s the 50-over senior domestic cricket tournament in the country.
In this article, we’ll look at the history and winners of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: History
As mentioned earlier, the Vijay Hazare Trophy is a 50-over tournament played with a List A status. State and regional teams compete in this annual tournament.
However, the BCCI didn’t institute the tournament with its current name. When the 50-over evet got off the floor in the 1993/94 season, the board named it the Ranji One Day Trophy. It was a name adopted from the first-class Ranji Trophy.
The inaugural season of the Ranji One Day Trophy took place in 1993/94, with teams competing in their zones. There were no national champions, with teams emerging as winners of their respective zones.
This format continued till the 2001/02 season before the board added a round-robin stage among the zonal toppers to decide the winners for the next two seasons. But from 2004/05 onwards, the tournament saw an addition of the knockout stage, with the final match deciding the winner.
But before the Ranji One Day Trophy got underway, there was an under-22 zonal 50-over tournament named the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The under-22 tournament started in 1983/84 and continued with the name till the 2006/07 season before the BCCI decided to rename the senior trophy.
The board renamed the Ranji One Day Trophy in memory of Vijay Hazare starting from the 2007/08 season.
Who is Vijay Hazare?
Vijay Hazare was a former Indian cricketer born in Maharashtra’s Sangli. In domestic cricket, he represented Maharashtra, Baroda, and Central India (now defunct).
Hazare was a respected batter, having played for over a decade in the Indian domestic circuit. He earned his maiden Test cap in June 1946 against England at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The right-hand batter would go on to become a key member of the squad, often scoring huge knocks. Hazare represented India in 30 Tests, amassing 2192 runs at an average of 47.65, including seven centuries and nine fifties.
His run-making was solid in first-class cricket, as he plundered 18740 runs in 238 matches at an impressive average of 58.38. He also smashed 60 hundreds and 73 half-centuries.
Hazare also had the honour of leading India in Test cricket. He captained the Indian men in 14 matches, managing only one win, though it was a remarkable victory.
He led India to their first-ever Test match win back in 1952 in Chennai. They defeated England, ending their 20-year winless drought in the format.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Format and Participating Teams
The 50-over competition follows a round-robin format, with 38 teams featuring in it. Five groups divide the teams as they play within their groups.
You can read our detailed piece on the Vijay Hazare Trophy format and participant teams here.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Most Successful Team
Tamil Nadu is the most successful team in Vijay Hazare Trophy history. The southern state has lifted the trophy five times, followed by Karnataka and Mumbai with four each.
Here are the season-by-season winners of the Vijay Hazare Trophy:
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | Tamil Nadu | Punjab |
| 2003/04 | Mumbai | Bengal |
| 2004/05 | Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh (shared) | – |
| 2005/06 | Railways | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2006/07 | Mumbai | Rajasthan |
| 2007/08 | Saurashtra | Bengal |
| 2008/09 | Tamil Nadu | Bengal |
| 2009/10 | Tamil Nadu | Bengal |
| 2010/11 | Jharkhand | Gujarat |
| 2011/12 | Bengal | Mumbai |
| 2012/13 | Delhi | Assam |
| 2013/14 | Karnataka | Railways |
| 2014/15 | Karnataka | Punjab |
| 2015/16 | Gujarat | Delhi |
| 2016/17 | Tamil Nadu | Bengal |
| 2017/18 | Karnataka | Saurashtra |
| 2018/19 | Mumbai | Delhi |
| 2019/20 | Karnataka | Tamil Nadu |
| 2020/21 | Mumbai | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2021/22 | Himachal Pradesh | Tamil Nadu |
| 2022/23 | Saurashtra | Maharashtra |
| 2023/24 | Haryana | Rajasthan |
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