Tracing the origins of Buchi Babu Memorial Tournament: When was it first played, why is it played and teams & format involved

The inception of the Buchi Babu Memorial Cricket Tournament dates back to 1909, following the death of Mothavarapu Venkata Mahipathi Naidu, who was also known by the name of Buchi Babu Naidu. Naidu was a prominent cricketing figure from Southern India. His contributions to Madras cricket at that time made him earn the coveted title of "Father of Madras Cricket." 

Just like the entire nation, the city of Madras, in which Naidu was based, was under British occupation. Times were hard during the pre-colonial times, but he did not let his struggles deter him from pursuing his cricketing ambitions. Naidu laid the initial foundation by establishing the Madras United Cricket Club, which subsequently led him to coin the concept of a Presidency Match, a contest between local Indian players and the English Madras Cricket Club. Moreover, right before his eventual demise, he organized a number of cricket matches and provided cricketing gear and attire to the deserving players. 

After his death, the local clubs around Madras initiated the Buchi Babu Memorial Tournament starting in 1909–10 as a tribute to him. Shortly after gaining independence, the tournament evolved into an invitational format in the late 1960s, attracting interest from several teams from across India, such as the State Bank of India, Associated Cement Companies (ACC), Nirlon, and Mafatlal, to name a few. 

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Participating Teams

During the colonial era, the tournament was restricted to a handful of clubs in and around Madras. But all of that changed forever when the league fell under the jurisdiction of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) in the 1960s. An invitational format was proposed by the governing body, and the league soon started featuring a diverse array of cricket teams and clubs all across India. The teams that expressed their interest in participating in this prestigious tournament were classified into two broad categories—Employer-based teams (E.g., State Bank of India, ACC, Nirlon) & State and association teams (E.g., Mumbai CA XI, TNCA President’s XI, Kerala).

However, in the contemporary era, the tournament has evolved in leaps and bounds as it now features anywhere between 12 to 16 teams, drawn from across the country. These teams are then grouped into three or four different groups, with three to four teams each.  

Format & Schedule

The Buchi Babu Memorial Cricket Tournament is played in a multi-day format. The league stage lasts for a maximum of three days, whereas the knockout games are played over the course of four days. Each playing day comprises a minimum of 6.5 hours of play with a requirement to bowl a minimum of 95 overs. Each group plays in a round-robin format, and the top teams progress to the semi-final and then the final. 

The tournament is held in the month of August-September and acts as a precursor to India's domestic season, which involves notable tournaments like the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy). 

Impact and Legacy of the Bachi Babu Tournament

The Bachi Babu tournament serves as a key foundation for the budding cricketers of Tamil Nadu and gives them the exposure to prepare them for their next big cricketing challenge, i.e., Ranji side selection. Big legends such as Sunil Gavaskar also got a taste of playing in this auspicious league. Given his aura, Gavaskar once attracted nearly 10,000 spectators when he was playing for the ACC. Besides, modern-day greats also participate in this tournament to hone their skills in red-ball cricket just before the start of the Indian domestic season. Some of the notable names include, but are not limited to, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Sarfaraz Khan.