The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Friday confirmed that the Ranji Trophy will be held in two phases, with the knockout rounds scheduled for June. The premier domestic tournament which was postponed on January 4 after getting rescheduled multiple times is likely to start in February and resume after the completion of the Indian Premier League.
The decision to go ahead with Ranji Trophy amid Covid-19 pandemic comes after the BCCI top brass met on Thursday to discuss the future of the tournament, which was cancelled in the 2020-21 season.
Jay Shah stressed the importance of the Ranji Trophy to Indian cricket and said the BCCI is focused on safeguarding the premier event.
“Ranji Trophy is our most prestigious domestic competition, which has been providing Indian Cricket with an enviable talent pool every year. It is absolutely important that we take all necessary steps to safeguard the interest of this premier event,” he added.
Shah said the BCCI will work on ensuring logistics and safety of players and others involved in the smooth conduct of the tournament.
“My team is working closely to mitigate any kind of health risk caused by the pandemic, while at the same time ensuring a highly competitive red-ball cricket contest,” he said.
The pressure was mounting on the board with players expressing their concern at the possibility of Ranji Trophy’s cancellation for the 2nd successive season. The players were compensated for the cancelled domestic matches from the last season earlier this year.
