India’s domestic cricket isn’t limited to the Ranji Trophy. It spans beyond that.
There are a number of domestic tournaments that happen all throughout the season. And the Duleep Trophy is one tournament that traditionally starts every season.
The Duleep Trophy doesn’t stretch for months like the Ranji Trophy. But it has a rich history, thanks to solid performances by zonal teams. A few other teams have also left their mark in the tournament.
But which one of them has been the most successful in the Duleep Trophy?
Here, you can find the season-by-season Duleep Trophy winners.
Duleep Trophy Winners
| Season | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 1961/62 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 1962/63 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 1963/64 | South Zone and West Zone (Shared) | – |
| 1964/65 | West Zone | Central Zone |
| 1965/66 | South Zone | Central Zone |
| 1966/67 | South Zone | West Zone |
| 1967/68 | South Zone | West Zone |
| 1968/69 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 1969/70 | West Zone | North Zone |
| 1970/71 | South Zone | East Zone |
| 1971/72 | Central Zone | West Zone |
| 1972/73 | West Zone | Central Zone |
| 1973/74 | North Zone | Central Zone |
| 1974/75 | South Zone | West Zone |
| 1975/76 | South Zone | North Zone |
| 1976/77 | West Zone | North Zone |
| 1977/78 | West Zone | North Zone |
| 1978/79 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1979/80 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1980/81 | West Zone | East Zone |
| 1981/82 | West Zone | East Zone |
| 1982/83 | North Zone | South Zone |
| 1983/84 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1984/85 | South Zone | North Zone |
| 1985/86 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 1986/87 | South Zone | West Zone |
| 1987/88 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1988/89 | North Zone and West Zone (Shared) | – |
| 1989/90 | South Zone | Central Zone |
| 1990/91 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1991/92 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1992/93 | North Zone | Central Zone |
| 1993/94† | North Zone | West Zone |
| 1994/95† | North Zone | South Zone |
| 1995/96† | South Zone | Central Zone |
| 1996/97 | Central Zone | South Zone |
| 1997/98 | Central Zone and West Zone (Shared) | – |
| 1998/99 | Central Zone | West Zone |
| 1999/00 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 2000/01† | North Zone | Central Zone |
| 2001/02† | West Zone | North Zone |
| 2002/03† | Elite C | Plate B |
| 2003/04 | North Zone | East Zone |
| 2004/05 | Central Zone | North Zone |
| 2005/06 | West Zone | East Zone |
| 2006/07 | North Zone | Sri Lanka A |
| 2007/08 | North Zone | West Zone |
| 2008/09 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 2009/10 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 2010/11 | South Zone | North Zone |
| 2011/12 | East Zone | Central Zone |
| 2012/13 | East Zone | Central Zone |
| 2013/14 | North Zone and South Zone (Shared) | – |
| 2014/15 | Central Zone | South Zone |
| 2015/16 | No competition | |
| 2016/17 | India Blue | India Red |
| 2017/18 | India Red | India Blue |
| 2018/19 | India Blue | India Red |
| 2019/20 | India Red | India Green |
| 2020/21 | No competition | |
| 2021/22 | No competition | |
| 2022/23 | West Zone | South Zone |
| 2023 | South Zone | West Zone |
| 2024/25† | India A | India C |
Also Read | List: Teams with the Most Ranji Trophy Titles
Most Successful Teams in the Duleep Trophy
West Zone: 19
West Zone have won the most Duleep Trophy titles. And there’s little surprise as to why they dominate in the tournament. West Zone caters to a rich cricketing pool, which has powered them to 19 titles.
1960s: 1961/62, 1962/1963, 1963/64, 1964/65, 1968/69, 1969/70
West Zone took the Duleep Trophy by storm in the initial years, with four consecutive titles. They closed out the 1960s with two more trophies.
1970s: 1972/73, 1976/77, 1977/78
The 1970s were a competitive period. While West Zone reached the final in seven seasons, they were able to hold the trophy three times.
1980s: 1980/81, 1981/82, 1985/86, 1988/89
West Zone started the 1980s with two title victories. But they added only two trophies in the remaining decade, one of which they shared with North Zone in 1988/89.
1990s: 1997/98
North Zone humbled West Zone for most of the 1990s. But a rain-infested 1997/98 final meant they shared the trophy with Central Zone.
2000s: 2001/02, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2009/10
West Zone bounced back in the 2000s. They clinched four titles, bringing their tally to 18.
2020s: 2022/23
As the tournament returned to its zonal format in the 2022/23 season, West Zone showed their muscle. They pulled off a massive victory over South Zone to claim their 19th title.
North Zone: 18
North Zone aren’t far behind West Zone. They have been the second-most successful team in the Duleep Trophy, with 18 titles.
1970s: 1973/74, 1978/79, 1979/80
The 1960s weren’t significant for North Zone. But the 1970s opened the doors for their domination in the years to come. They lifted the trophy three times, beating the heavyweights, West Zone, twice towards the end of the decade.
1980s: 1982/83, 1983/84, 1987/88, 1988/89
The 1980s saw North Zone topple West and South Zones to add four titles, although they shared one with West Zone.
1990s: 1990/91, 1991/92, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 1999/2000
North Zone were invincible for half the 1990s. They bagged five consecutive titles in the first half, while they finished the decade with their 13th title.
2000s: 2000/01, 2003/04, 2006/07, 2007/08
In the 2000s, North Zone added four titles. They topped the table in the 2000/01 season, while they beat three different opponents in their other title triumphs.
2010s: 2013/14
The 2010s brought only a single trophy. North Zone were able to share the title with South Zone in the 2013-14 season.
South Zone: 14
South Zone have had periodic dominance in the Duleep Trophy. They have won the tournament 14 times thus far.
1960s: 1963/64, 1965/66, 1966/67, 1967/68
South Zone were at par with West Zone in the 1960s. Although they couldn’t win in the first two seasons, they bounced back with four titles.
1970s: 1970/71, 1974/75, 1975/76
In the 1970s, South Zone made the final three times and won each time. They defeated East, West, and North Zones.
1980s: 1984/85, 1986/87, 1989/90
South Zone faced challenges from North, West, and Central Zones in the 1980s. While they were unsuccessful in hammering down North and West Zones once each, they wasted no time in taking revenge.
1990s: 1995/96
The 1990s were rather dull for South Zone. They managed to lift the title once after topping the table in the 1995/96 season.
2010s: 2010/11, 2013/14
After the quiet 2000s, South Zone started the 2010s with a title victory. They added one more title, though they had to share it with North Zone in 2013/14.
2020s: 2023
South Zone’s 14th title came after a decade’s gap. They defeated West Zone in a low-scoring final.
Central Zone: 6
Central Zone have had many shots at the Duleep Trophy. But they weren’t quite able to convert their chances on many occasions. And so they have settled on six titles thus far.
1970s: 1971/72
After two failed attempts in the 1960s, Central Zone lifted their first trophy in the 1971/72 season. They had to do heavy lifting to get past West Zone’s might in the final.
1990s: 1996/97, 1997/98, 1998/99
Central Zone were largely quiet for almost two decades. But they turned the calmness into jubilation in the second half of the 1990s. They laid their hands on the trophy in three consecutive seasons.
2000s: 2004/05
Central Zone stunned North Zone in the 2004/05 season final to clinch their fifth title.
2010s: 2014/15
A decade later, Central Zone pulled off a come-from-behind victory. Despite conceding a 103-run lead in the first innings, Central Zone managed to beat South Zone by nine runs.
East Zone: 2
East Zone have had on-off performance in the Duleep Trophy. They have lifted the trophy only twice.
2010s: 2011/12, 2012/13
East Zone had to wait until the 2010s to taste their first title victory. And when they sniffed the blood, they made it a double delight.
East Zone claimed the Duleep Trophy in consecutive seasons, in 2011/12 and 2012/13, defeating Central Zone both times.
India Blue: 2
BCCI modified the format between 2016 and 2019, with three teams. India Blue won two of those seasons. They defeated India Red in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 seasons.
India Red: 2
India Red shared the spoils in the other two seasons. They took revenge for the 2016/17 loss against India Blue. And they thumped India Green in the 2019/20 season.
Elite C: 1
The 2002/03 season was contested by teams formed out of the Ranji Trophy groups. After the round robin stage, the Elite Group C topped the points table to lift the Duleep Trophy.
India A: 1
The 61st edition, contested in 2024/25, had four teams – India A, B, C, and D. They played each other, and India A topped the table to take the trophy.
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