CHENNAI: The upcoming Ranji Trophy season which is likely to begin on February 16 and run till March 5 will be a curtailed season. With the window available being a short one, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is tweaking what was already a new format, which will see 38 teams divided into eight groups of four each and the Plate league comprising six teams. The matches will be played in nine venues with the board already informing few state units unofficially about the groupings.
The BCCI has altered the format as it is racing against time to host the event. According to the earlier format, which was introduced this season because of the Covid protocols in place, there were five Elite Groups with six teams each and eight teams were clubbed in the Plate group. As per this format, the top six gained entry into the quarterfinals, with the six second-placed teams in the group playing pre-quarterfinals with the topper of Plate group.
With the BCCI deciding to split the Ranji Trophy into two phases after it suspended the season on January 4, it needed 32 days to finish the group stages. The knockouts are scheduled to be played in June. While it is still possible to get 32 days if it begins on February 16, the BCCI has decided to further tweak the format and keep it short so that it can complete the league stages in just 18 days. In the new format, top eight teams will advance to a Super Eight stage, where they will be divided into two groups and will play in a round-robin format once before the top two face in final.