What Is The Ranji Trophy?
The Ranji Trophy is the domestic first class cricket championship in India governed by the BCCI. The competition consists of 38 teams, with all 28 Indian states represented. This is different from the countries popular Indian Premier League which is more centred around franchise teams.
When Is The Ranji Trophy Played?
The Ranji Trophy is contested every year with usually taking place between the months of December and February. In the calendar of Indian cricket, the Ranji Trophy is one of the most looked forward to events anually.
History Of The Ranji Trophy
The first match in the Ranji Trophy dates back to 1934/35 originally under the title of ‘The Cricket Championship Of India’. Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy more than any other team, a remarkable 41 times, once winning 15 consecutive titles between 1958/59 and 1972/73.
Top Run Scorer In Ranji Trophy History
Opening batter Wasim Jaffer scored a mammoth 12,038 Ranji Trophy runs for Mumbai between 1996 and 2020 at an average of over fifty. He also played 31 Tests for the Indian national cricket team.
Top Wicket Taker In Ranji Trophy History
Left arm spinner Rajinder Goel dismissed 637 batters in his Ranji Trophy career between 1958 and 1985. Despite his success in domestic cricket he was never selected to play for India.
Memorable Games In Ranji Trophy History
The 1991 final of the Ranji Trophy produced the tightest finish in the competition’s history and a truly epic encounter between Mumbai (Bombay at the time) and Haryana at the Wankhede Stadium. 199 from Deepak Sharma saw Hayana make 522 in their first innings. Three wickets from legendary Indian all rounder Kapil Dev restricted Mumbai to an over 100 run deficit in the first innings but the home team fought back in the third innings to leave 355 to win the match on the fifth and final. A brilliant partnership by Dilip Vengsarkar and an 18 year old Sachin Tendulkar looked to be guiding Mumbai to another success in the Ranji Trophy, and after the little master fell for 96 another prodigious young talent Vinod Kambli provided support with 45 before he was caught and bowled by Ajay Jadeja. This triggered a collapse which left Vengsarkar stranded on 139 not out as Mumbai were dismissed for 352 to lose by just two runs. The final two wickets in this iconic Ranji Trophy match were run outs.
In January 2023 Prithvi Shaw recorded the second highest Ranji Trophy individual score in the history of the competition for Mumbai against Assam in Guwahati. His incredible innings of 379 came in just 383 deliveries and included 49 fours and four sixes adding a partnership of 401 with skipper Ajinkya Rahane who made 191. It was some way from the highest ever score by an individual batter which was 443 not out made by Maharashtra’s BB Nimbalkar in 1949. Shaw is a man for seconds, he recorded the second youngest Test century by an Indian on his debut against the West Indies national cricket team in October 2018. The youngest was, of course, Sachin Tendulkar.
Similar Competitions To The Ranji Trophy
The Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy are also Indian domestic competitions featuring state teams. Those interested in this page may also want to check out that section.
