Digital Desk: The Ranji Trophy 2022, which had been postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic, is scheduled to begin from February 16, according to reports.
Due to the pandemic scenario, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been compelled to adopt a new format for the major domestic event this year, with eight groups of four teams each and six teams in one Plate group, all of whose games will be played at the same time.
The groupings were originally intended to have 30 Elite and eight Plate teams, but the current plan calls for 32 Elites and six Plate teams.
The group stage matches will be played in nine cities: Chennai, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Rajkot, Cuttack, Guwahati, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as per reports.
Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI’s board president, had previously stated that the BCCI was considering a six-group format with six teams in each group, but those plans were thwarted due to the Covid-imposed time constraint.
Moreover, with the 15th edition of the IPL set to begin in March, which will last till the last week of May, the BCCI was in a race against time.
Meanwhile, the tournament will be split into two phases, one on either side of the 2022 IPL, with the league stage between February 16 and March 5, followed by knockouts in June, with the IPL sandwiched in between.
“The Ranji Trophy will be held in two phases this season, as approved by the board. We expect to complete all-league stage matches in the first phase, with the knockouts taking place in June.” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement earlier this month.
The Ranji Trophy was originally scheduled to begin on January 13, but it was postponed due to the growing pandemic situation, with India facing a terrifying third wave.
“Because the BCCI does not want to jeopardize the safety of the players, support personnel, match officials, and other individuals involved, the three events have been put on hold till further notice,” Shad said in a statement.
Covid-19 has impacted India’s domestic cricket for the second year in a row. For the first time in its 85-year existence, the Ranji Trophy was completely cancelled last year.
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