Cricket Pathway
From age-group tournaments to school, college and academy cricket — how young players climb the ladder to the senior international side.
Step 1
Under-16
The first national-level age-group tournament for boys, organised state-wise. The Vijay Merchant Trophy is where many India players are first spotted.
Step 2
Under-19
The Cooch Behar Trophy is India's premier U-19 first-class competition; the Vinoo Mankad Trophy is the U-19 List A equivalent. Top performers feed directly into India's U-19 World Cup squad.
Step 3
Under-23
The U-23 tier (named after Col. C.K. Nayudu) is the bridge between junior and senior cricket, with both red-ball and 50-over competitions.
Step 4
College & University
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) runs an annual inter-university cricket championship. Most major states also host college and university leagues that feed into district cricket.