CHENNAI: Days after this newspaper reported about the Ranji Trophy being called-off for the second successive season, around eight state units have approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informally asking them to reconsider the decision. While the board is understood to have told them that it will explore the options, it is understood to remain non-committal citing the short window available.
Following the increase in Covid numbers across the country, the BCCI suspended its domestic season on January 4 just a day before the teams were supposed to enter their respective bio-bubble for the Ranji Trophy beginning on January 12. At that time it was informed that the Ranji Trophy will begin after a two-week period. However, with the Covid situation not improving, there has been no update on when the domestic season will resume.
During the office-bearers meeting held last Tuesday, the BCCI decided to resume the rest of the domestic season by February end, provided the situation improves. The BCCI has also found the decision to reopen schools in several states as an encouraging sign, but at the same time, it is facing scheduling issues to slot the Ranji Trophy.
For the BCCI to host the Ranji Trophy in its current schedule, it needs 75 days, which is ruled out because with advancement of IPL to March 27, the bubble period, including the initial quarantine days, will begin by the third week of March. If the IPL is shifted overseas, then franchises will start the bubble much earlier, meaning there are only 28 days in February and another 10-15 days in March available for the BCCI to slot the Ranji Trophy.
While that period is not sufficient to host the entire Ranji Trophy, the state units have asked the BCCI to at least explore the option of hosting the group stages. As per BCCI's existing schedule, including the quarantine period to complete the group stages it needs 39 days. So to host the group stages, the BCCI should start the tournament at least in the first week of February after the teams serve the initial eight-day quarantine.
The state units are not hopeful of the Ranji Trophy. Some of the state units that had plans to host a camp have cancelled it with players returning to their respective cities as there is uncertainty all around.