Ranji: Focus on nine debutants
A record 37 teams, including nine debutants, participating in the Ranji Trophy beginning Thursday pose a massive logistical challenge for a cricket board going through administrative chaos.
The new teams, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya , Bihar and Puducherry, did feature in the recently held 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy but playing red-ball cricket will be a tougher challenge. Some argued that the new teams should have made a gradual progression to the Ranji Trophy, starting with age group cricket rather than rushing them into the country’s premier firstclass competition.
However, the Supreme Courtappointed Committee of Administrators went for an all-out approach and the newbies now find themselves thrown in at the deep end.
The nine teams will compete against in the Plate group, just like they did in Vijay Hazare Trophy where Bihar, who returned to domestic cricket after 18 years, and Uttarakhand, gave a good account of themselves. Most of these teams will rely on outstation players this season.
More than 50 grounds will be used during the tournament, making it a huge logistical challenge but Saba Karim, BCCI GM of Cricket Operations, said his team is ready.
While the nine teams aim to find their footing, domestic stars will be in action across Group A, B and C. Test regular Cheteshwar Pujara is expected to play Saurashtra’s opener against Chattisgarh while spinner R Ashwin and Murali Vijay have been named in the Tamil Nadu squad for their first game against Madhya Pradesh.
With teams already announced for the four-Test series in Australia and the A tour of New Zealand, exemplary performances in Ranji Trophy are unlikely to be rewarded.
TOUGH GROUP
Group A seems to be the toughest of all in the presence record champions Mumbai, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Railways Chattisgarh, Vidarbha and Gujarat.
While Gujarat won their maiden title in 2016-17, Vidharbha were the winners in the 2017-18 season. Ahead of another season, it would be too early to speculate if there will be a firsttime winner of Ranji Trophy.
Perennial favourites Mumbai will be led by the stylish Shreyas Iyer, at least in their opener against Railways at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. The team will be high on confidence following their win in Vijay Hazare.
Teenage star Prithvi Shaw will not feature against Railways as he still recovering from an injury he suffered during the Deodhar Trophy in Delhi last week.
Most of the Test regulars are expected to play in the early stages, unless they are picked for the A tour of New Zealand, which takes place ahead of the Test series in Australia beginning December.