The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially confirmed the relocation of the Duleep Trophy final from the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, in a move designed to allow spectators to attend the showpiece domestic fixture.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia explained that the decision was driven by government restrictions at the CoE that would have prevented the public from attending the final, which is expected to feature some of the country's top cricketers.

"The two quarterfinals and two semifinals will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. But because of some government restrictions, we cannot allow the public to watch the matches at the CoE. In view of that, we have moved the final to the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai," Saikia told Cricbuzz.

Speaking to the Times of India, Saikia reiterated the board's stance: "We wanted to allow people to come and watch the Duleep Trophy final, hence the BCCI has decided to conduct the important domestic fixture at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. At CoE, there are some restrictions regarding attendance of the crowd."

During a recent visit to the CoE, when Saikia was asked about the possibility of the match being held behind closed doors, he had indicated that the board would explore options. "We will definitely look into the aspect of hosting the match with spectators; we still have time," he had said at the time.

Tournament Schedule

The inter-zonal red-ball multi-day competition will kick off on August 23, with two quarterfinals — East Zone vs North East Zone and North Zone vs West Zone — being played simultaneously at the CoE in Bengaluru. The quarterfinals will be played across four days, from August 23 to 26.

The two semifinals will follow from August 30 to September 2, also at the CoE and also without spectators.

The five-day final will then be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 6 to 10.

Broadcast Details

All matches of the tournament will be live-streamed, a significant upgrade from last season when only the final was telecast live. Additionally, some matches — including the final — will also be broadcast on television.

Defending Champions

Central Zone enter the tournament as the defending champions, having beaten South Zone in last year's final. They will be looking to retain their crown when the competition gets underway later this month.