MUMBAI: Will the Ranji Trophy be held or not? The million dollar question was deferred to another day after a meeting of the BCCI's office-bearers on Thursday, held specifically to decide on the fate of the traditional tournament, failed to reach a conclusion. The BCCI had initially postponed the Ranji Trophy for the 2021-22 season due to a covid surge in the country.
"We need some time to take a final decision on this matter. The number of cases in the country is still high," a top BCCI official told TOI. "The fact that a meeting with this agenda was held means that the BCCI, particularl y its president, Sourav Ganguly, is still hopeful of organizing at least the league stage of the tournament. If it was to be cancelled, it wouldn't have taken so long for the BCCI to announce it. The office-bearers are likely to meet on Monday to take a final call," said a reliable source.
Coming out strongly in favour of holding the Ranji Trophy this season, former Mumbai captain and current Baroda Cricket Association CEO Shishir Hattangadi told TOI: "There are two categories of players. One is the guy who plays in the Ranji Trophy, the 'wooden spoon' cricketer, and the other plays in the IPL. Two seasons mean a lot to a player who plays in the Ranji Trophy, and doesn't figure in the IPL. To make it worse, there are no jobs for cricketers these days, unlike in the good old days when they had full time jobs in banks and public sector companies. It's not about compensation also. It's about furthering your career as well. Cricket is about your aspirations also."
"My heart goes to those players who could miss out on two seasons of the Ranji Trophy. It was the Ranji Trophy that brought Sachin Tendulkar into prominence. He did well in his debut season in 1987-88, and by 1989, he was playing for India. Just imagine what would happen to those aspiring Tendulkars if there was no Ranji Trophy for the second consecutive year. I just feel for all those players who might miss out again. Two years is a long time. It can make or break careers," he rued.
The office-bearers' meeting was also prompted by the fact that many state associations are keen that the Ranji Trophy goes ahead, or there's at least clarity on this regard. "If the Ranji is cancelled, many of the state units are looking to organize their T20 leagues in this window. This suspense and secrecy around the tournament must end soon," said a BCCI member.
Apart from the issue of players' health, the big problem confronting the tournament is the short time period available before the forthcoming IPL. "The players would need to undergo a six-day quarantine before the IPL, and then a short camp with the respective franchises. How do you fit everything in such a short time," wondered another BCCI member.
