Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament is the most reputable red-ball domestic event in India. It is organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) in his honour M. Buchi Babu Naidu popularly known as the Father of Madras Cricket. The tournament since being started in the early 20th century has been critical in producing cricketers who in the future would become nationally and internationally successful.
The Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament 2025 again became a testing ground, with players preparing to play the Ranji Trophy and other red-ball formats, after a revival in 2023. Competitive fixtures, 16 powerful teams and standout performances formed the 2025 edition, showing why this tournament is such an indispensable appointment in the Indian cricket calendar.
Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament 2025: Overview
The Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament was organised between 18 August 2025 and 9 September 2025 at Chennai. It consisted of 16 teams that were set in four groups, semi-finals and a grand final.
This tournament, unlike T20s and ODIs, was about red-ball multi-day cricket meaning the batsmen could display patience, the bowlers could plan dismissals and the selectors could assess temperament at the Ranji Trophy before the season.
Format of the 2025 Edition
The 2025 format mirrored the revival structure used in 2023 and 2024.
| Stage | Dates | Match Duration | Rules & Overs Format |
| Group Stage (3 rounds) | Aug 18–28 | 3 days each | 1st Innings: 90 overs; 2nd Innings: 45 overs |
| Semi-finals | Aug 31 – Sep 3 | 4 days | Standard red-ball cricket |
| Final | Sep 6 – 9 | 4 days | Standard red-ball cricket |
This structure balanced competitive cricket with time constraints, ensuring a proper knockout phase while still testing endurance.
Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament Participating Teams
The 16 teams were a mix of TNCA squads and leading state associations.
Group Allocation
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| TNCA President’s XI | Railways | TNCA XI | Hyderabad |
| Himachal Pradesh | Jammu & Kashmir | Mumbai | Punjab |
| Chhattisgarh | Baroda | Haryana | Madhya Pradesh |
| Maharashtra | Odisha | Bengal | Jharkhand |
Both groups comprised a blend of the old staple teams such as Mumbai, Bengal, emerging teams such as Chhattisgarh and J&K and the ever-present TNCA President XI and TNCA XI where Tamil Nadu players get to showcase their local talent.
Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament Squads and Star Players
Several prominent domestic and IPL names played in the 2025 edition.
| Team | Notable Players |
| Maharashtra | Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ankit Bawane, Prithvi Shaw |
| Mumbai | Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, Ayush Mhatre |
| Tamil Nadu (TNCA XI) | R. Sai Kishore, Washington Sundar (in select matches) |
| Chhattisgarh | Aditya Sarwate, Ravi Kiran |
| Hyderabad | Tanmay Agarwal, Tilak Varma |
| Baroda | Krunal Pandya, Lukman Meriwala |
The glamour and technical competitiveness of the tournament was provided by the presence of the IPL stars and Ranji regulars.
Group Stage Fixtures
Round 1 (Aug 18–20)
- TNCA President IX vs Himachal Pradesh
- TNCA XI vs Mumbai
- Chhattisgarh v Maharashtra.
- J&K vs Railways
- Baroda vs Odisha
- Haryana vs Bengal
- MP vs Jharkhand
- Hyderabad vs Punjab
Round 2 (Aug 22–24)
- TNCA XI vs Haryana
- XI vs Maharashtra – TNCA President.
- Hyderabad vs Jharkhand
- Railways vs Odisha
- Bengal vs Mumbai
- Punjab vs MP
- Chhattisgarh vs HP
- Baroda vs J&K
Round 3 (Aug 26–28)
- TNCA XI vs Bengal
- Mumbai vs Haryana
- Maharashtra vs Himachal Pradesh.
- Hyderabad vs MP
- Odisha vs J&K
- Jharkhand vs Punjab
- Railways vs Baroda
- TNCA President XI vs Chhattisgarh
Buchi Babu Tournament 2025 Scorecard Highlights
Here are some key results from Round 3 that shaped the semi-finals.
| Match | Winner | Margin |
| Hyderabad vs MP | Hyderabad | Innings & 49 runs |
| Railways vs Baroda | Railways | 22 runs |
| Bengal vs TNCA XI | Bengal | 6 wickets |
| TNCA President’s XI vs Chhattisgarh | TNCA XI | 59 runs |
| Maharashtra vs HP | Maharashtra | 180 runs |
| Jharkhand vs Punjab | Jharkhand | 131 runs |
| Odisha vs J&K | Odisha | 118 runs |
| Haryana vs Mumbai | Haryana | 5 wickets |
Semi-Finals (Aug 31 – Sep 3)
The four semi-finalists were:
- Maharashtra (Group A topper)
- Railways (Group B topper)
- Bengal (Group C topper)
- Hyderabad (Group D topper)
Semi-final Results
| Match | Result |
| Maharashtra vs Bengal | Maharashtra won by 4 wickets |
| Hyderabad vs Railways | Hyderabad won by 7 wickets |
Thus, the Buchi Babu Tournament 2025 Final was set between Maharashtra and Hyderabad.
Buchi Babu Tournament 2025 Final
The grand final took place from September 6–9, 2025 in Chennai.
Final Scorecard (Summary)
| Team | 1st Innings | 2nd Innings | Total |
| Maharashtra | 312 | 278 | 590 |
| Hyderabad | 245 | 289 | 534 |
Maharashtra won by 56 runs.
Key performers:
- Ruturaj Gaikwad- brilliant 1st innings century.
- Sarfaraz Khan (guest player in previous rounds) – had already made a dent but the Maharashtra batting took the centre stage.
- The 2nd-innings fight of Tilak Varma of Hyderabad.
- This last was amongst the most competitive in recent times and displayed equal batting with equal bowling.
Star Performances of 2025
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra): Century in long formats, reasserting his caste, the last time.
- Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai): Division of consistent group stage performances, with an appetite to recall India.
- Bengal Bowlers: Good spells by Mukesh Kumar and spinners in first couple of rounds.
- Tilak Varma (Hyderabad): Left his imprint on the cemented middle-order red-ball player.
- Aditya Sarwate (Chhattisgarh): memorable all-round performance although his team did not qualify.
Significance of the Buchi Babu Tournament
- Talent Development- An arena where the future players get a chance to challenge quality opposition.
- Watchlist by Selector Watchlists Watchlists are frequently used in Ranji Trophy and India A.
- Tradition – It is more than a hundred years old, which has historical prestige.
- The contribution of TNCA makes Tamil Nadu cricket stronger and also adds depth to the red-ball game in India.
- Balanced Cricket – It is not like T20 leagues, it recognizes temperament and forbearance.
Conclusion
The Buchi Babu Cricket Tournament 2025 did not disappoint its heritage as the oldest red-ball-invitational event in India. As Maharashtra was crowned champions, stars such as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma on display and new talents making a mark, the tournament again showed its worth as a conduit between local and national success. To the fans, selectors, and players, the Buchi Babu is not only a competition, but a heritage event that has a combination of tradition and opportunity.
FAQs
It is a historic domestic red-ball tournament held by TNCA in the remembrance of M.
Buchi Babu Naidu.
It was held between August 18 and September 9, 2025 at Chennai.
There were 16 teams in the total numbering 4 groups.
Maharashtra defeated Hyderabad by 56 runs in the final.
It is a preparation of Ranji Trophy in players and demonstrates talent of red-ball to the selectors.
