Ranji Trophy: A tournament that gives clues about players willing to cope with rigours of the longer format

Ranji Trophy commences with 38 teams in Elite & Plate divisions, offering players a chance to prove their value in the longer format of cricket.

Away from the emotions attached to international cricket or the breathless hype that permeates the Indian Premier League, the Ranji Trophy will commence across the nation on Friday. Split into the Elite and Plate divisions and cumulatively featuring 38 teams, India’s premier domestic tournament arrives without any fuss.

The List A fixtures and the IPL tussles do grease India’s conveyor belt for limited overs’ cricket. However, when it comes to playing in whites, it is the Ranji Trophy that often throws up clues about players willing to cope with the rigours of the longer format.

In near-empty venues, except when the game moves into rural outposts, the Ranji Trophy still has infinite charms. India’s core group in Tests, is evolving. Just like it happened between Sourav Ganguly’s retirement in 2008 and Sachin Tendulkar’s glorious swansong in 2013, the present squad’s key stars are also heading inexorably towards the exit door.

The process was already set in motion with Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane being overlooked. With skipper Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, all hovering around the mid-thirties, the road ahead will see gradual farewells. These massive boots, as and when they empty out, need to be filled and the Ranji Trophy presents an opportunity for many players to press their claims.

Even IPL talent scouts will keep an eye on the imminent contests, trying to glean multi-dimensional players with quick-silver styles. Be it defending champion Saurashtra, Mumbai with its hoary winning tradition or a rookie unit like Manipur, the Ranji circuit will offer a mirror to self-appraise and progress. It is the same trope for Hyderabad, now relegated to the Plate division.

To perform in near anonymity, with just a few scribes, the odd selector and some fans watching, may not do much for a player’s adrenaline but surely it does offer a quiet space to introspect and improve even in this era with its nasty social-media undertones. Just as hope floats for the younger crop, the seniors too get a chance to reiterate their value be it a Pujara or a Rahane. There is Hanuma Vihari too, who at 30, has many summers of cricket left in him.

With the Elite final scheduled from March 10, the Ranji caravan will roll across India through the coming weeks. Hopefully the championship will also throw up some clues about the country’s talent-base.