The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had decided last year that they’ll change the domestic schedule. The Ranji Trophy was split into two halves, much like what the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) does in the County Championship. Many speculated that this was done due to the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which usually takes place in late December (mini-auction).
If the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy were to end by then, the IPL franchises would have an easier time selecting players for their teams. There wasn’t much criticism when the BCCI announced the change in May last year. However, now that the 2024-25 season is over with the Ranji Trophy ending on February 2, some aren’t happy with the change.
Schedule change of domestic cricket by BCCI
| Dates in 2023-24 season | Dates in 2024-25 season | |
|---|---|---|
| Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy | October 16 to November 6 | November 23 to December 15 |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy | November 2023 to December 16 | December 21 to January 18 |
| Ranji Trophy | January 5 to March 14 | October 11 to November 16 and January 23 to February 2 |
Unhappiness over BCCI splitting Ranji Trophy into two halves
A couple of days ago, Chandrakant Pandit, Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) head coach since 2022 and Madhya Pradesh head coach, expressed his displeasure. The KKR coach wasn’t sure why the change was made but hinted that the IPL auction could be the reason. He also stated that players and teams have had a tough time adjusting from the Ranji Trophy to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. And then again to the red-ball tournament.
Now, another domestic coach is unhappy with the change. Bengal’s head coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla, has said that he’ll write to the BCCI about the scheduling. He suggests that we revert back to the old system given that the Ranji Trophy is the most important tournament in domestic cricket.
“The Ranji Trophy is our premier domestic tournament, a stepping stone for Test cricket and the group league matches should be played at a stretch,” Laxmi Ratan Shukla told RevSportz.
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