Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has revealed a plan for a two-phase conduct of the Ranji Trophy tournament in 2022. The country's premier red-ball first-class competition, postponed due to the ongoing third wave of the Coronavirus pandemic, is likely to have its league stage competed before the start of the IPL with knockouts expected to be played in June."The Board has decided to conduct the Ranji Trophy this season in two phases. In the first phase, we plan to complete all matches of the league stage while the knockouts will be held in June," Shah told in a statement.
It is expected that the 33-team tournament will begin in the second week of February and the first phase will continue for about a month.
The tournament, which was not held last year due to the Covid pandemic, was scheduled to begin on January 13 but was postponed owing to a third wave of infections across the country. "My team is working closely to mitigate any kind of health risk caused by the pandemic, while at the same time ensuring a highly competitive red-ball cricket contest.Shah said that the BCCI understands the significance of Ranji Trophy."Ranji Trophy is our most prestigious domestic competition, which has been providing Indian cricket with an enviable talent pool every year. It is absolutely important that we take all necessary steps to safeguard the interest of this premier event," he said.The two phases are required since the BCCI also plans to host the IPL from March 27 and hosting two big tournaments would not be possible practically as the players' availability would be concern.
