The Ranji Trophy 2021-22 has been postponed again due to the third COVID wave in the country. Meanwhile, BCCI is planning on hosting it in two phases. However, Ravi Shastri has warned about not ignoring it too much.
India's premier First-Class (FC) cricket tournament, the Ranji Trophy, has been postponed again for the 2021-22 season due to the ongoing third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking to host the tournament in a couple of phases, later. However, former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has warned of the grave consequences of ignoring the competition too much.
The 2021-22 season of the Ranji Trophy was scheduled to get underway from January 13. Taking to his Twitter handle, Shastri affirmed the value and importance of the tournament for Indian cricket and that it just cannot be ignored. "The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it, our cricket will be SPINELESS!" he wrote.
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The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it our cricket will be SPINELESS!
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc)As far as BCCI's plans to conduct the Ranji Trophy in a couple of phases is concerned, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is likely to begin from March 27, which will result in the players getting busy during that phase. Arun Dhumal (BCCI treasurer), along with some of the state units and BCCI brass, held a meeting on Thursday to decide the same. Sourav Ganguly (BCCI President) and Jay Shah (Secretary) were also a part of the meeting.
According to the current discussions, the league phase can be held for a month between February-March, followed by the next stage in June-July. However, the weather could be a factor since monsoon arrives in India at the time, while some parts of the country still witness summer. Regardless, Dhamal asserted that the BCCI would carry out all the arranging of proper venues so that the weather does not disrupt the tournament, reports PTI.
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The tournament was cancelled last season due to the pandemic, as the BCCI could conduct only the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. All the FC players were paid 50% of the match fees. Failing to run the tournament this season might affect the selection process for India A team, which is heavily dependent on Ranji performance.