Five reasons why people should watch the Ranji Trophy

Ranji Trophy is one of the finest domestic cricket tournaments in the world where players give their best in order to make it to the national team. The competition was named after Ranjitsinhji, also known as Ranji, who was the first Indian cricketer to play for England and Sussex.

The tournament comprises of 27 teams which are divided into three pools A,B, and C. During the group stages, all the teams play a minimum of eight matches each. Three teams from pools A and B make it to the quarter-finals while two teams from Pool C qualify for the next round. Mumbai has been the most successful Ranji team, winning the elite tournament, a record 41 times.

The rules in the Ranji trophy are pretty strange. If the game ends in a draw, the outcome of the match is decided on the basis of the teams’ performance in the first innings. Despite this, however, the Ranji trophy is still a must watch for every cricket fan in the world. Here are 5 reasons why:

#1 To get a glimpse of younger players:

Washington Sundar could earn a senior call-up soon

Ranji Trophy is one of the few tournaments where one can witness young talents getting nurtured and showcasing their skills to the world. Getting a place in the Ranji side is a struggle in itself as a player must prove himself across many division leagues in state cricket.

Indian cricket has discovered many young talents like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Yuvraj Singh through domestic cricket and they have been given exposure to the international arena very early in their career. Sachin was a child prodigy who made it big in Ranji cricket. Aged just 15, Sachin made his debut for Mumbai against Gujarat and scored a fabulous 100 not out which made him the youngest Indian cricketer to score a century on debut, an outstanding feat indeed.

Currently, there are many young cricketers like Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Manan Vohra and Shreyas Iyer to name but a few who are excelling in domestic competitions and watching these young players showcasing their skills will help viewers get a better reading of the game and also give an insight into how youngsters approach the game these days.

#2 To get a glimpse of former Indian players:

Irfan Pathan will play in the Ranji Trophy in an attempt to regain some form and earn a call-up to the national side

Ranji Trophy also gives you the benefit of witnessing great Indian players showcase their cricketing skills on the domestic stage. Former Indian players turn to the Ranji trophy after a loss of form in an attempt to regain confidence and secure their place back in the national side.

There are a number of players who lack the skill to make it on the international stage but have made it big in Ranji cricket. The likes of Akash Chopra, Wasim Jaffer, Vinay Kumar, Ashok Malhotra, and Debasis Mohanty, for instance, had impressive domestic careers but unfortunately couldn’t enjoy a prolonged career at the international level. Although their service to their country hasn’t been that effective, their effect on grooming the younger players has been immense.

Watching former Indian cricketers ply their trade can inspire youngsters to take up the game and excel in it in the future.

#3 To get a different view of pitches across India:

Pitches for international games are generally different to those used for domestic competitions

India is home to a number of different kinds of wickets. These wickets possess a great challenge to both batsmen and bowlers to prove their skills on different surfaces. Players are tested on fast and pacy wickets, rank turners, slow and low wickets, green tops and much more. Meanwhile, wickets for an international game in India are completely different. We hardly get to see any green tops during international matches staged in Indian these days.

Playing on different types of wickets will improve your technique and also allow you to change your game plan according to the surface. Watching players changing their gameplay according to the surface gives you a clear picture of the game and excites you as a viewer.

Speaking about green tops, the Lalhi wicket in Haryana possesses a real challenge for the batsmen and is probably the only wicket in India which yields results on a consistent basis. Fast bowlers, especially enjoy bowling on these type of lively wickets and the major share of wickets is taken by them. The Lalhi track was in fact recognized by the BCCI and was awarded the best pitch of the 2012-13 season.

There are seven instances where teams have been bowled out for under 100 which shows what a nightmare it is for the batsmen. Even the great Sachin Tendulkar while playing his last Ranji match for Mumbai against Haryana found the wicket to be a tricky one to bat on.

#4 Comparison of domestic cricket in India with those in Australia and England:

Domestic cricket in England is a lot different compared to the scene in India

Domestic cricket in England is a lot more versatile when compared to India. It allows players from different countries to feature in the competition while India doesn’t provide the same luxury. Although the County Championships allow just one overseas player per team, it does benefit that player immensely.

Great players like Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Sachin Tendulkar, and Zaheer Khan have gained immense experience by playing county cricket. Tendulkar, at the age of 19, became the first overseas player to represent Yorkshire. The right-hander amassed 1070 runs at an average of 46.52 in the 16 first-class matches he played.

Zaheer Khan, too, was a successful county player and was instrumental during India’s tour of England in 2007 by scalping 18 wickets in 3 test matches which contributed to a famous series victory. Before the commencement of the test series, Zaheer had an extended run for Worcestershire in 2006 which allowed him to get acclimatized to the conditions.

#5 Youngsters can watch and learn the game without the weight of expectations:

Watching the Ranji Trophy can help improve a youngster’s game even at the street level

Youngsters are provided the opportunity to catch a clear glimpse of the game without the pressure to perform. People can watch and learn about all the aspects of the game, and it also allows youngsters to speak to various players across different states and get an in-depth knowledge of the game. There’s no doubt whatsoever that good players will make a favorable impact on youngsters.

Nowadays, the youth have also begun to consider cricket as a good career option. The thought process has changed over the years, and parents these days allow their children to take up the game and succeed.

The competition starts right from the school level where people get the opportunity of witnessing many Ranji trophy matches. Junior cricketers also get the advantage of bowling or batting against experienced players in net sessions from which they gain massive experience.