OMG! No Ranji Trophy for the first time in 87 years

BCCI gears up to hold Hazare Trophy

The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has scrapped the domestic firstclass cricket -- Ranji Trophy at least for this year.

The Ranji Trophy championship is played in India between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. The BCCI has opted for the Vijay Hazare Trophy as per the wishes of majority of the state units.

This will be for the first time in 87 years that the Ranji Trophy championship has been sidelined by the BCCI. "I am extremely happy to inform you that we are going to conduct the Senior Women's One Day tournament simultaneously with the Vijay Hazare Trophy and follow it up with Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19. This has been decided after having received your feedback on the domestic season 2020-21," Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary said in a letter to state units, which is in possession of the Free Press Journal.

The BCCI will also host the U-19 National One Day tournament for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Women's national 50-over tournament as per a letter sent by BCCI secretary Jay

Shah to the state units.

While BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Shah were keen to have the Blue Riband tournament that pays the maximum match fee (Rs 1.5 lakh per game approx) for the players, it is understood that a twomonth long bio-bubble even for a truncated two-phased Ranji Trophy in times of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't feasible.

It is understood that BCCI will probably follow the same groupings and biobubble for the Hazare Trophy that will start next month. The BCCI during its AGM had decided that players will be compensated in case there is a truncated season and with players missing out on Ranji Trophy match fees.