BCCI's Unique Domestic Schedule Set to Save Two Ranji Trophy Winners Next Season

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to bifurcate the Ranji Trophy into two categories- Elite and Platen. The unique move has been aimed to upgrade the quality of first-class cricket in India.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to bifurcate the Ranji Trophy into two categories- Elite and Platen. The unique move has been aimed to upgrade the quality of first-class cricket in India.

This means that the next edition of the Ranji Trophy will have two winners. It is understood that the decision has been taken to avoid any discrepancy in the knockout stage and to make the completion more enthralling. The 2022-23 season of Ranji Trophy is set to start on December 13. The final is scheduled to be played on February 20, 2023.

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In the upcoming season of the Ranji Trophy, 32 teams in the Elite stage will be divided into four groups and each group will be consisted of eight teams. Table toppers from all the four Elite groups will qualify for the quarter-final stage. The two bottom-placed teams in four groups will get relegated to the plate group next season.

Defending champions Madhya Pradesh find themselves in Elite group D along with Punjab, Vidarbha, Railways, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Chandigarh, Tripura. Last season’s runners-up Mumbai have been placed in Elite group B along with Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Saurashtra, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi and Tamil Nadu.

Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Baroda and Odisha have been slotted in Elite Group A. Jharkhand, Kerala, Pondicherry, Goa, Kerala, Services, Rajasthan, Karnataka feature in Elite Group C.

Plate group, on the other hand, will comprise six teams. These six teams will play against each other once, and the top four teams will eventually qualify for the semi-final stage. The two finalists will also be promoted to the Elite group.

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Six teams taking part in the Plate group are Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal, Bihar and Mizoram.

Unlike Ranji Trophy, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy will follow last season’s format. Overall, 38 teams will take part and participating teams will be divide into five groups.

Madhya Pradesh scripted history last season after winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. The Aditya Shrivastava-led side defeated mighty Mumbai in the final by six wickets to secure their first-ever Ranji Trophy title. Last season’s summit clash had taken place at the at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

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