New Delhi: Ranji Trophy, its major national competition in the history of Indian cricket, will not be held for the first time in the last 85 years. Ranji started in 1934-35 and is the first time since then that the Ranji Trophy will not be held.
Interestingly, in a letter addressed to all its affiliated state associations dated January 29, the Indian cricket board is mum on not organising the Ranji Trophy this season. It merely says that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to conduct the Vijay Hazare Trophy 50-over tournament and Senior Women’s One Day tournament after the completion of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament.
The president of a state association said that all the indications of the BCCI not being keen on staging the Ranji Trophy had been there for a long time.
“BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s letter to the states doesn’t mention the words ‘Ranji Trophy’ even once. But he spoke to the states on phone and said that the Ranji Trophy would not be held this season. It is, however, not there is black and white,” he said referring to the letter.
In a smart move, and clearly, to deflect the blame for not organising the Ranji Trophy from itself, the BCCI asked its affiliates to give their opinion of whether to hold the Ranji Trophy or the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The BCCI, however, has not made this ‘poll’ public, so no one knows how many of its affiliates wanted the Ranji Trophy to be organised.
“It was extremely important for us to ensure that women’s cricket takes place and 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 the Vinoo Mankad under-19 Trophy. This has been decided after having received your feedback on the domestic season 2020-21,” Jay Shah said in his letter.
