Ranji Trophy 2016-17: Preview and tournament schedule

The 83^rd edition of the Ranji Trophy begins from 6^th October and the state of Chattisgarh is all set to make its Ranji Trophy debut. For the first time, matches will be played at neutral venues, after the proposal given by the Sourav Ganguly-led panel was approved by the BCCI.

The idea was first given by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and has been supported by both Ganguly and Anurag Thakur.

The idea came into shape as many matches from the last edition got over within three or even two days. Home teams prepared rank turners to inflict outright victories, which in turn affected the quality of cricket in the season.

The board felt that the quality of pitches that were put in place last season was not good enough to produce international level players and it was necessary to discard the home advantage. Despite referees penalising the state officials, no action was taken against them.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played in between the league and the knockout phase of the Ranji Trophy.

As usual, the domestic season will provide young and budding cricketers to prove their mettle and it will also provide an opportunity for out-of-favour players to perform well in the domestic circuit and come back strongly.

The return of Gautam Gambhir in the Test squad against New Zealand is an indication that there is no substitute for hard work and performance and even discarded players can make a return.

The quarter-finals of the tournament will be held from 17^th December followed by semi-finals on December 27. The final will be a five-day affair which will be held from January 7^th to January 11^th.

The Irani Trophy match, which is contested between the reigning Ranji Champions and the Rest of India team will be held from 18^th January.

History

Current Teams (28)

Mumbai, Baroda, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Gujarat,Tamil Nadu, Railways and Uttar Pradesh, Saurashtra, Odisha, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, Vidarbha, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, Hyderabad, Haryana, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Services, Goa, J&K, Andhra and Chhattisgarh

The following teams have appeared in the Ranji Trophy previously but do not participate anymore:

• Southern Punjab (1934/35 – 1967/68)
• Sind (1934/35 – 1947/48)
• Northern India (1934/35 – 1946/47)
• Central Provinces & Berar (1934/35 – 1949/50)
• Western India (1934/35 – 1945/46)
• Bihar (1936-37 – 2003-04)
• North West Frontier Province (1937/38 – 1946/47)
• Holkar (1941/42 – 1954/55)
• Gwalior (1943/44)
• Kathiawar (1946/47 – 1949/50)
• Patiala/Patiala and Eastern Punjab States Union (1948/49, 1953/54 – 1958/59)
• Eastern Punjab (1950/51 – 1959/60)
• Madhya Bharat (1955/56 – 1956/57)
• Northern Punjab (1960/61 – 1967/68)

Ranji Trophy 2016-17 Groups and Schedule (Total 28 teams)

Group A – Mumbai, Baroda, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bengal, Gujarat,Tamil Nadu, Railways and Uttar Pradesh.

Group B – Saurashtra, Odisha, Delhi, Maharashtra, Assam, Vidarbha, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Jharkhand.

Group C – Hyderabad, Haryana, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Services, Goa, J&K, Andhra and Chhattisgarh.

Date	Match Details	Time
Oct 06, Thu - Oct 09, Sun	Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu, Group A Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak Baroda vs Gujrat, Group A Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur Punjab vs Railways, Group A Palam A Stadium, Delhi Madhya Pradesh vs Uttar Pradesh, Group A TBC, TBC Saurashtra vs Rajasthan, Group B MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Odisha vs Vidarbha, Group B Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam Delhi vs Assam, Group B Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara Jharkhand vs Mahrashtra, Group B Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi Hyderabad vs Goa, Group C Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur Haryana vs Services, Group C Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai	9:30 AM IST
Oct 13, Thu - Oct 16, Sun	Kerala vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, West Bengal Himachal Pradesh vs Andhra Pradesh, Group C KIIT Stadium, Bhubaneswar Tripura vs Chattisgarh, Group C JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi Mumbai vs Baroda, Group A Palam A Stadium, Delhi Madhya Pradesh vs Punjab, Group A Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak Uttar Pradesh vs Bengal, Group A Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur Railways vs Tamil Nadu, Group A TBC, TBC Odisha vs Saurashtra, Group B Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad Maharashtra vs Delhi, Group B Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Jharkhand vs Karnataka, Group B MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Rajasthan vs Assam, Group B Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam Hyderabad vs Haryana, Group C JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi Kerala vs Himachal Pradesh, Group C Eden Gardens, Kolkata Tripura vs Services, Group C Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Goa vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C Lalabhai Contractor Stadium , Surat Andhra vs Chattisgarh, Group C Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, West Bengal	9:30 AM IST
Oct 20, Thu - Oct 23, Sun	Mumbai vs Madhya Pradesh, Group A Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur Bengal vs Punjab, Group A TBC, TBC Railways vs Gujrat, Group A Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak Uttar Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu, Group A Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala Maharashtra vs Saurashtra, Group B Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram Delhi vs Karnataka, Group B Eden Gardens, Kolkata Vidarbha vs Assam, Group B TBC, TBC Jharkhand vs Rajasthan, Group B Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara Hyderabad vs Kerala, Group C KIIT Stadium, Bhubaneswar Haryana vs Chattisgarh, Group C Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Himachal Pradesh vs Tripura, Group C Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, West Bengal Services vs Goa, Group C DRIEMS Ground, Cuttack Jammu & Kashmir vs Andhra, Group C Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai	9;30 AM IST
Oct 27, Thu - Oct 30, Sun	Punjab vs Baroda, Group A Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi Tamil Nadu vs Madhya Pradesh, Group A DRIEMS Ground, Cuttack Railways vs Bengal, Group A Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala Uttar Pradesh vs Gujrat, Group A Palam A Stadium, Delhi Delhi vs Odisha, Group B Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali Rajasthan vs Maharashtra, Group B Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad Assam vs Karnataka. Group B Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai Jharkhand vs Vidarbha, Group B Krishnagiri Stadium, Wayanad,Kerala Hyderabad vs Himachal Pradesh, Group C Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Haryana vs Andhra, Group C Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Tripura vs Goa. Group C KIIT Stadium, Bhubaneswar Jammu & Kashmir vs Services, Group C Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur Chattisgarh vs Kerala, Group C JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi	9:30 AM IST
Nov 05, Sat - Nov 08, Tue	Mumbai vs Railways, Group A Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar Ground, Mysore Tamil Nadu vs Baroda, Group A Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur Punjab vs Uttar Pradesh, Group A Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad Gujrat vs Bengal, Group A Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi Assam vs Saurashtra, Group B Eden Gardens, Kolkata Rajasthan vs Odisha, Group B Dhruve Pandove Stadium, Patiala Delhi vs Jharkhand, Group B TBC, TBC Vidarbha vs Karnataka, Group B Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara Hyderabad vs Tripura, Group C Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi Andhra vs Services, Group C Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore Himachal Pradesh vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi Goa vs Chattisgarh, Group C Barabati Stadium, Cuttack Kerala vs Haryana, Group C Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur	9:30 AM IST
Nov 13, Sun - Nov 16, Wed	Uttar Pradesh vs Mumbai, Group A, TBC, TBC Railways vs Baroda, Group A Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur Gujrat vs Madhya Pradesh, Group A Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune Bengal vs Tamil Nadu, Group A Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot Saurashtra vs Jharkhand, Group B Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Agartala Odisha vs Assam, Group B Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi Maharashtra vs Vidarbha, Group B Eden Gardens, Kolkata Karnataka vs Rajasthan, Group B Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram Hyderabad vs Services, Group C Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi Kerala vs Goa, Group C Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai Jammu & Kashmir vs Haryana, Group C Barabati Stadium, Cuttack Andhra vs Tripura, Group C Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, Valsad Chattisgarh vs Himachal Pradesh, Group C Green Park, Kanpur	9:30 AM IST
Nov 21, Mon - Nov 24, Thu	Gujrat vs Mumbai, Group A KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground, Hubli Baroda vs Bengal, Group A Ch Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Rohtak Tamil Nadu vs Punjab, Group A Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur Madhya Pradesh vs Railways, Group A Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi Vidarbha vs Saurashtra, Group B Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi Odisha vs Karnataka, Group B Palam A Stadium, Delhi Rajasthan vs Delhi, Group B Krishnagiri Stadium, Wayanad,Kerala Maharashtra vs Assam, Group B MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Hyderabad vs Chattisgarh, Group C Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, Valsad Kerala vs Andhra, Group C Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Haryana vs Goa, Group C Green Park, Kanpur Tripura vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Services vs Himachal Pradesh, Group C Lalabhai Contractor Stadium , Surat	9:30 AM IST
Nov 29, Tue - Dec 02, Fri	Bengal vs Mumbai, Group A Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur Baroda vs Madhya Pradesh, Group A Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala Gujrat vs Punjab, Group A Srikantadatta Narasimha Raja Wadiyar Ground, Mysore Uttar Pradesh vs Railways, Group A Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot Saurashtra vs Karnataka, Group B Dhruve Pandove Stadium, Patiala Odisha vs Mahrashtra, Group B Nehru Stadium, Kochi Vidarbha vs Delhi, Group B MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Assam vs Jharkhand, Group B Dr PVG Raju ACA Sports Complex, Vizianagaram Hyderabad vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C Moti Bagh Stadium, Vadodara Kerala vs Tripura, Group C Barabati Stadium, Cuttack Andhra vs Goa, Group C JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi Chattisgarh vs Services, Group C Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai Himachal Pradesh vs Haryana, Group C Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, Valsad	9:30 AM IST
Dec 07, Wed - Dec 10, Sat	Punjab vs Mumbai, Group A Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot Baroda vs Uttar Pradesh, Group A Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune Madhya Pradesh vs Bengal, Group A Palam A Stadium, Delhi Tamil Nadu vs Gujrat , Group A TBC, TBC Saurashtra vs Delhi, Group B Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai Odisha vs Jharkhand, Group B MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Maharashtra vs Karnataka, Group B Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali Vidarbha vs Rajasthan, Group B Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Hyderabad vs Andhra, Group C Green Park, Kanpur Himachal Pradesh vs Goa, Group C Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai Chattisgarh vs Jammu & Kashmir, Group C Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior Tripura vs Haryana, Group C Eden Gardens, Kolkata Kerala vs Services, Group C Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi	9:30 AM IST
Dec 17, Sat - Dec 21, Wed	TBC vs TBC, 1st Quarter-final TBC vs TBC, 2nd quarter-final TBC, TBC TBC vs TBC, 3rd quarter-final TBC, TBC TBC vs TBC, 4th quarter-final TBC, TBC	9:30 AM IST
Dec 27, Tue-Dec 31st,	TBC vs TBC, 1st Semi-Final TBC,TBC TBC vs TBC, 2nd Semi-Final TBC,TBC	9:30 PM IST
Jan 7th Tue-Jan 11th Sat	TBC vs TBC, Final TBC,TBC	9:30 PM IST