This time last year, when the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy was held at the BCCI’s sprawling Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the city outskirts, supporters were a disappointed lot.

The first-round matches of the domestic cricket season-opener were not broadcast on television and the whole tournament was held behind closed doors. However, in glad tidings for the fans, the 2026-27 edition, which begins on August 23 at the CoE, will see an increased share of matches on television.

And the BCCI even said that it would explore the option of holding at least the final at a proper stadium which can seat an audience. “There are some government restrictions to how we use this land and because of that, we cannot have crowds in this campus,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said on Sunday while answering a question from The Hindu.

“But this year, we have increased the number of matches to be telecast. That way, we are giving fans the chance to watch their favourite players and teams. We definitely appreciate your suggestion to see whether the final can be hosted in a stadium. We still have time and we’ll look into that aspect.”