Col CK Nayudu Winners vs ROI

The Col CK Nayudu Winners vs Rest of India match is a showcase extension of the long-running Col CK Nayudu Trophy, India’s premier U23 red-ball competition. The first edition of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy Winners vs ROI match took place in 2002, establishing a tradition of pitting the top young talents against seasoned players. Introduced to highlight the season’s standout performers, the fixture brings together the trophy-winning squad and a Rest of India lineup selected from the best young talents across the country. While not held every season, the match has grown into a valuable platform for identifying players ready to transition from youth cricket into senior domestic structures. Over the years, it has featured several future Ranji regulars and IPL prospects, offering a competitive four-day stage that mirrors the intensity of India’s multi-day domestic cricket.

Past Col CK Nayudu Winners vs Rest of India (ROI) Editions

• 2024-2025 Season

  The March 2025 edition of the Col CK Nayudu Winners vs Rest of India match was played from 9 March 2025 to 12 March 2025, marking the return of the fixture after a gap in the domestic calendar. The match was hosted at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur, a venue known for its consistent red soil surfaces and strong developmental cricket ecosystem. The contest followed the traditional four day format, with the Col CK Nayudu Trophy winners facing a Rest of India squad built from the top performers of the 2024-2025 season.

  The match ended in a draw, with the Winners finishing at 251 for 7 in their second innings, ensuring they held control on the final day. The ROI side had earlier posted 314 in their first innings, setting up a competitive contest before the Winners responded strongly. Although no trophy is awarded for this fixture, the match served its purpose as a high quality assessment of U23 talent, with several players delivering performances that strengthened their cases for Ranji Trophy selection in the following season.

• Earlier Seasons

  The Col CK Nayudu Winners vs Rest of India fixture is believed to have first appeared in the early 2000s, around the time the BCCI reshaped its youth structure and formalised the U22 and U23 pathways. Unlike the long-running Col CK Nayudu Trophy itself, this Winners vs ROI match was never a permanent feature of the domestic calendar. It surfaced only in selected seasons, most likely as a developmental showcase rather than a scheduled annual event. Because it was not part of the BCCI’s regular domestic programme, detailed public records from the early years are scarce, and several editions were either undocumented or played without the extensive digital archiving that exists today.

  No verifiable records exist of any Winners vs ROI match immediately before the 2024-2025 edition. The last known attempt to stage such a fixture appears to date back to the 2019-2020 cycle, but no official scorecards or match details have been preserved, though one source claims Rest of India won the event. This gap aligns with the broader disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted the 2020-2021 youth season and led to several non-essential showcase matches being dropped from the calendar.

  Earlier iterations of the concept, though not formally archived, were likely played intermittently as part of the BCCI’s efforts to evaluate top U23 talent in a competitive environment. These matches typically mirrored the structure of the Irani Cup, pitting the season’s champions against a curated all-star lineup. Over time, the fixture became an occasional but valuable tool for selectors, offering a concentrated look at players on the verge of senior domestic cricket. Even without a continuous historical record, the role of the Winners vs ROI match has remained consistent: to highlight emerging long-format talent and provide a high-quality stage for players aiming to break into Ranji squads and establish themselves in domestic cricket.

* Earlier editions are not documented