India’s domestic cricket structure is enormous, with a number of tournaments organised every year. Among the plethora of tournaments, a few hold a lot of significance in developing the upcoming generation of cricketers.
One such tournament is the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), which is the top-tier domestic competition in the country. It’s a List A tournament played with a white ball, following the one-day (50-over) format.
The tournament offers plenty of opportunities to talented cricketers with its extensive format, covering all regions of the country.
In this article, we’ll glance at the format and points system of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, along with the participating teams.
How many teams participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?
As of December 2024, 38 state and regional teams participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Before the 2018 domestic season, 27 teams used to feature in the 50-over tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
But, as the BCCI granted permission to some state associations from north and north-east India to field their teams, the number rose to 38 in 2019.
Here is the list of participating teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy:
| Team | First Appearance in VHT |
|---|---|
| Andhra | 1993/94 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 2018/19 |
| Assam | 1993/94 |
| Baroda | 1993/94 |
| Bengal | 1993/94 |
| Bihar | 1993/94 |
| Chandigarh | 2019/20 |
| Chhattisgarh | 2016/17 |
| Delhi | 1993/94 |
| Goa | 1993/94 |
| Gujarat | 1993/94 |
| Haryana | 1993/94 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 1993/94 |
| Hyderabad | 1993/94 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 1993/94 |
| Jharkhand | 2005/06 |
| Karnataka | 1993/94 |
| Kerala | 1993/94 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1993/94 |
| Maharashtra | 1993/94 |
| Manipur | 2018/19 |
| Meghalaya | 2018/19 |
| Mizoram | 2018/19 |
| Mumbai | 1993/94 |
| Nagaland | 2018/19 |
| Odisha | 1993/94 |
| Puducherry | 2018/19 |
| Punjab | 1993/94 |
| Railways | 1993/94 |
| Rajasthan | 1993/94 |
| Saurashtra | 1993/94 |
| Services | 1993/94 |
| Sikkim | 2018/19 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1993/94 |
| Tripura | 1993/94 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1993/94 |
| Uttarakhand | 2018/19 |
| Vidarbha | 1993/94 |
Also Read | Difference between First-Class Cricket & List-A Cricket
What is the format of the Vijay Hazare Trophy?
The format of the tournament has undergone some changes over the years. As the List A tournament accommodated new teams in 2019/20, the BCCI tweaked the format a little bit.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy’s format divides the 38 teams into five groups. The first three groups – A, B, and C – consist of eight teams each, and the other two – D and E – comprise seven each.
All 38 teams tussle in a round-robin format, facing off their group opponents once during the vast league stage. Once the league stage concludes, the toppers of every group enter the knockout stage, securing a direct spot in the quarter-finals.
The No. 2 teams from all groups also roll into the knockouts, with the best team among them moving into the quarter-finals. The rest four sides, though, battle it out in the preliminary quarter-finals to book a slot in the quarter-finals.
After the preliminary quarter-finals are done, the two winners will make up the quarter-finals. The quarter-final winners will then head into the semis, with the competition culminating with the final.
What is the points system in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?
Here’s how the points system works in the tournament. If a team bags an outright win, they stand a chance to earn four points, while the losing side gets zero points. If a match isn’t completed due to unforeseen reasons and ends with no result, then both teams share the spoil, getting two points each.
The points structure for the Vijay Hazare Trophy:
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Outright Win | 4 |
| No Result | 2 |
| Outright Loss | 0 |
Read Next | The History of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
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