BCCI Abandons Ranji Trophy 2020-21 Season; Vijay Hazare To Be Organised
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly was in favour of hosting the Ranji Trophy but it seemed impractical to create 38 bio-bubble.
India’s domestic season, Ranji Trophy, which was delayed for months due to the Covid-19 pandemic, finally took off earlier this month with the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The tournament is being played in a bio-secure bubble.
Even though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has managed to organize the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, there were speculations regarding the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
But now it seems that BCCI is not in a mood to organise Ranji Trophy this year. As per reports of Sportskeeda, the BCCI has finally decided to not organise the Ranji Trophy this season, as it is close to impossible to organize the premier first-class tournament. The decision was taken on Sunday during the board’s apex meeting.
The President of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly, along with other members, were in the opinion of having the Ranji Trophy, but finally, the decision was taken that it was not possible to organise such a big tournament in a pandemic situation.
A close source to the BCCI has revealed that the board has made a practical decision more than anything. According to the source, it is not possible to create a bio-secure bubble for 38 teams.
“We’re just being practical. Let’s face it – the pandemic still hasn’t gone anywhere. It’s here and our lives continue to remain dispossessed by it. There are 38 First Class teams and a bio-bubble of that degree is simply not possible,” a source revealed as quoted by the Times of India.
Women’s Domestic T20 Tournament Might be Organized: Reports
The fate of India’s premier domestic event, Ranji Trophy, remained under speculations but the BCCI Apex Council on Sunday gave its approval to begin the women’s cricket season in the country from March.
“The president remains committed to Ranji Trophy but a few others were not on the same page and wanted to host the Vijay Hazare Trophy instead (50-over event). The operations team has been asked to work on the logistics for Ranji Trophy, which is obviously a much bigger challenge in the current circumstances,” a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“It will be either Ranji Trophy or Vijay Hazare Trophy and it will be decided by the end of next week,” the official said.
“It is likely to be a full fledged domestic season for women and there will be finally some cricket for our international stars with Sri Lanka and South Africa coming to India,” the official added.
