The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a monumental decision. After 90 years of Ranji Trophy season being played non-cricket for nearly two months, the board has decided to split it up into two halves. The seismic change comes after cricketers complained of a lack of rest time between fixtures in the last Ranji Trophy season (2023-24).
Among those who spoke about it, Shardul Thakur was one of the biggest names to raise concern. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had suggested to the Apex Council a change in a proposal he’d sent last month.
Ranji Trophy to have one-month gap in between
The upcoming domestic season (2024-25) will now start with the Duleep Trophy (September 5-22), the Irani Trophy (October 1-5), and the first five league matches of the Ranji Trophy (which starts on October 11). Once they’ve culminated, there’ll be a gap.
During this time, white-ball tournaments, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (November 23-December 15), and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (21 December-January 18), will be played. Once they are completed, the remaining two league matches of the Ranji Trophy and the knockout matches will be played (ending March 2).
Indian Cricket
Changes from the last season
The 2023-24 edition of the red-ball event started on January 5 and ended on March 14. During this period, no other domestic tournament took place as teams flocked from one part of India to another to play their fixtures. To ensure players don’t have mental or physical fatigue, the Ranji Trophy is being split up.
The first part will be played from October 11 until the start of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on November 23. Then, after nearly a month’s break, it’ll restart once again when the Vijay Hazare Trophy ends on January 18.
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