Ranji Trophy: Difference between revisions

|          caption = Ranji Trophy Logo

| tournament format = [[Round-robin tournament|Round-robin]] then [[Single-elimination tournament|knockout]]

|        champions = [[Saurashtra cricket team| Saurastra]] (2 titles)

|headquarters=[[Cricket centre]], [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]]|TV=* [[Star Sports (Indian TV network)|Star Sports 2 HD]]  

* [[Disney+ Hotstar]]|longest continuous champion=[[Bombay cricket team]]|next=[[2023-24 Ranji Trophy|2023-24]]}}

The '''Ranji Trophy''' (also known as '''[[Mastercard]] Ranji Trophy''' for sponsorship reasons) is a domestic [[first-class cricket]] championship played in [[India]] between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. [[Board of Control for Cricket in India]] founded it in 1934, since then it is annually organised across various grounds and stadiums in India.  

The competition currently consists of 38 teams, with all 28 [[States and union territories of India#States|states in India]] and four of the eight [[States and union territories of India#Union territories|union territories]] having at least one representation. When it started it was named as 'The Cricket Championship of India', in [[1935–36 Ranji Trophy|1935]] it was renamed after [[Ranjitsinhji]] who was the first ever Indian who played [[international cricket]], he played for England from 1896–1902.<ref>{{Cite web |last=staff |first=Cricinfo |title=The Ranji Trophy |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/the-ranji-trophy-261615 |url-status=live |access-date=1 March 2023 |website=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref name=":0" />{{Efn|Ranjitsinhji played for [[England cricket team]] in Tests in early 20th century. He was a prince from [[Nawanagar State|Nawanagar]] princely state and later became king of his state.}}  

The [[Mumbai cricket team]] is the most successful team of the tournament by winning it record 41 times.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Mumbai win Ranji Trophy for 41st time|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/mumbai-win-ranji-trophy-for-41st-time/articleshow/51158226.cms |url-status=live |work=Times of India |date=26 February 2016 }}</ref>   

[[Saurashtra cricket team]] is present title holder by winning [[2022-23 Ranji Trophy]]. It defeated Bengal cricket team in the final.<ref>{{Cite web |title=रणजी करंडक क्रिकेट स्पर्धा : मध्य प्रदेश नवविजेते! ; अंतिम सामन्यात बलाढय़ ... |url=https://www.loksatta.com/krida/ranji-trophy-final-2022-mp-beat-mumbai-by-six-wickets-zws-70-2992146/&ved=2ahUKEwit8JTUt7r7AhUY2DgGHcOhATYQu7wFegQIGRAI&usg=AOvVaw2VukgEfhVMga6niS4LWIOs |url-status=live |website=www.loksatta.com}}</ref>

The competition was launched following BCCI's meeting at [[Shimla]] in July 1934,<ref name="History">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/261615.html |title=The Ranji Trophy |access-date=27 February 2017 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> with the first fixtures taking place in [[1934–35 Ranji Trophy|1934–35]] .Initially the tournament was named as 'The cricket championship of India', it later was renamed[[1934–35 Ranji Trophy|.]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ranji Trophy: 85 years, and counting |url=https://www.theweek.in/news/sports/2019/02/05/ranji-trophy-85-years-and-counting.html |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=The Week |language=en}}</ref>  The trophy was donated by [[Bhupinder Singh of Patiala|Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala]] in memory of [[Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji|Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Jam Sahib of Nawanagar]] who had died the previous year.<ref name="History" /> The first match of the competition was held on 4 November 1934 between [[Madras cricket team|Madras]] and [[Mysore cricket team|Mysore]] at the Chepauk ground in Madras (Now [[Chennai]]). Mumbai (Bombay) have won the tournament the most times with 41 wins including 15 back-to-back wins from [[1958–59 Ranji Trophy|1958–59]] to [[1972–73 Ranji Trophy|1972–73]].  

In 2015 [[Paytm]] became the first company to hold the tournament's title sponsorship right by virtue of BCCI's title sponsorship deal.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/mastercard-replaces-paytm-as-title-sponsor-for-all-india-international-domestic-home-matches-article-94003654/amp&ved=2ahUKEwiT0brHhav9AhXK2DgGHUemDK0QFnoECBIQBQ&usg=AOvVaw1885-oY8Ya4rQLiJ7ma1j6}}</ref>

The [[2020–21 Ranji Trophy]] tournament was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/no-ranji-trophy-in-2020-21-but-bcci-to-hold-domestic-50-over-competitions-for-men-women-u-19-boys-1249623 |title=No Ranji Trophy in 2020–21, but BCCI to hold domestic 50-over games for men, women, and U-19 boys |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> the first season since the tournament's inception that it was not held.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/bcci-to-hold-hazare-trophy-as-per-state-units-wish-no-ranji-trophy-for-first-time-in-87-years/article33701912.ece |title=No Ranji Trophy for first time in 87 years |work=The Hindu |date=30 January 2021 |access-date=30 January 2021|last1=Karhadkar |first1=Amol }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=30 January 2021|title=No Ranji Trophy For First Time in 87 Years, BCCI Opts For Vijay Hazare Trophy|url=https://www.probatsman.com/no-ranji-trophy-for-first-time-in-87-years-bcci-opts-for-vijay-hazare-trophy|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=January 30, 2021|website=Pro Batsman}}</ref>

State and regional teams with first-class status and owned–opeartead by BCCI members play in the Ranji Trophy. While most associations are regional such as the [[Mumbai Cricket Association]], [[Karnataka State Cricket Association]] while [[Railways cricket team|Railways]], [[Services cricket team|Services]], are pan-Indian.

† <small>denotes newly added teams from the [[2018–19 Ranji Trophy|2018–19 season]]</small><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/nine-new-teams-in-ranji-trophy-2018-19-1152787|title=Nine new teams in Ranji Trophy 2018-19|access-date=13 December 2022|work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref>

==Stadiums==

!Home team(s)

From the Ranji Trophy's inception until the 2001 season (with the exception of 1948–49 season), the teams were grouped geographically into four or five zones – North, West, East, and South, with Central added in 1952–53. Initial matches were played within the zones on a [[Single-elimination tournament|knock-out]] basis until 1956–57, and thereafter on a [[Round-robin tournament|league]] basis, to determine a winner; then, the five individual zone winners competed in a knock-out tournament, leading to a final which decided the winner of the Ranji Trophy. From the 1970–71 season, the knock-out stage was expanded to the top two teams from each zone, a total of ten qualifying teams. This was expanded again to the top three from each zone in 1992–93, a total of fifteen qualifying teams; between 1996–97 and 1999–2000, the fifteen qualifying teams competed in a secondary group stage, with three groups of five teams, and the top two from each group qualified for a six-team knock-out stage; in all other years until 2001–02, a full fifteen-team knock-out tournament was held.

In the 2008–09 season, this format was adjusted to give both Super League and Plate League teams an opportunity to contest the Ranji Trophy. The top two from each Plate sub-group contested semi-finals; the winners of these two matches then joined the top three from each Super League sub-group in an eight-team knock-out tournament. The winner of this knock-out tournament then won the Ranji Trophy. Promotion and relegation between Super League and Plate League continued as before. In the 2010–11 season, Rajasthan won the Ranji Trophy after beginning the season in the Plate League.

From the 2018–19 season, the teams contested in three-tiers. Five teams will qualify for the quarter-finals from the top tier (known as Elite Group A and Group B). Two teams will qualify from the second-tier (Elite Group C) and one team from the lower-tier (Plate Group) for the quarter-finals.

Prior to the 2016–17 season, matches were played at the home ground of one of the two teams taking part. For the 2016–17 competition, the BCCI decided that all games would be staged at a neutral venue.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ranji Trophy to be held at neutral venues, confirms BCCI|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/top-stories/Ranji-Trophy-to-be-held-at-neutral-venues-confirms-BCCI/articleshow/52901161.cms|website=The Times of India|date=24 June 2016 |access-date=2 January 2017}}</ref>

===Points summary===

Points in the league stages of both divisions are currently awarded as follows:

| Bonus point (for innings or 10 wicket wins) || 1

| 1st innings lead in a drawn match || 3 ^*

| 1st innings deficit in a drawn match || 1 ^*

! colspan="4" | Team records<ref name=ca>Compiled from [http://cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Records/Firstclass/Overall/index.html Overall First-Class Records] at CricketArchive.</ref>

| Most wins || 41 || [[Mumbai cricket team|Mumbai]] || 1934–2016

! Team !! Winner !! Runner-Up !! Win % !! Last win

[[Star Sports (Indian TV network)|Star sports 2 HD]], [[Disney+ Hotstar]] app airs this trophy live on television and online respectively. BCCI's website runs match highlights.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://wisden.com/series-stories/ranji-trophy-2022-23-watch-live-tv-channels-match-timings-live-streaming/amp&ved=2ahUKEwj6t4aS2sL8AhVAnFYBHei5DQ8QFnoECBUQBQ&usg=AOvVaw3YpwxrWh0Ukmgamb1_t5NM |url-status=live |website=Wisden}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= The Board of Control for Cricket in India|url=https://www.bcci.tv/videos/highlights&ved=2ahUKEwiArfrA28L8AhU9rlYBHRapD_8QFnoECDYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3PTEp4vUgl64BIcI8PGvrZ |url-status=live |website=bcci.tv}}</ref>

* The tournament was featured in [[Jersey (2019 film)|Jersey]], a 2019, [[Telugu language]] [[Indian film]], in which the main protagonist Arjun played by [[Nani (actor)|Nani]] plays 1980s, 1996-97 Ranji trophy for [[Hyderabad cricket team]] and make win his team against [[Mumbai cricket team]] in the final. <ref>{{Cite news |title=Nani-starrer 'Jersey', garners praise from cricket buffs |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/gowtam-tinnanuris-jersey-starring-nani-and-shraddha-srinath-has-been-garnering-praise-from-film-and-cricket-buffs/article26910841.ece |url-status=live |website=[[The Hindu]]|date=22 April 2019 |last1=Dundoo |first1=Sangeetha Devi }}</ref>

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