Pruned Ranji Trophy to begin on February 17
The Hindu
Premier domestic tournament to commence on Feb. 17 at nine venues
Defending champion Saurashtra has been clubbed with domestic powerhouse Mumbai in Group D, while Tamil Nadu will enter as the second-seeded team in Group H in a curtailed edition of the Ranji Trophy, set to commence on Feb. 17 at nine venues. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah confirmed the groups, venues and the tournament format in a letter to all its affiliated units on Friday.
The BCCI, after considering the possibility of letting top teams as many assured games as possible, has decided to revise the format. Each of the nine group table-toppers will qualify for the knockouts. The topper from Plate will face the lowest-ranked of the eight qualifiers from the Elite group (criteria to be decided).
Besides the playing conditions, Shah informed that the detailed match schedule will “soon” be communicated along with COVID-19 guidelines. The BCCI has confirmed that the teams will have to enter their respective bisecure hub on February 10 and the first phase of the tournament will be over on March 15. The quarterfinals, semifinals and the final will be played from May 30 to June 26, after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League.
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