Secretary of the (BCCI) in India Jay Shah revealed a plan for the two-phase conduct of the Ranji Trophy tournament in 2022. The nation's premier red-ball first-class event, postponed due to the ongoing third wave of the Covid pandemic, is likely to have the league stage start before the start of the Indian Premier League, with knockouts expected to be played in June this year.
Shah wrote in a letter to the state associations.
"I write to you to inform you all that the decks have been cleared, and we are set to arrange the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 season shortly,"
"My team at the BCCI has worked on a structure where we will conduct the Ranji Trophy this season in two phases. The first phase will begin soon and comprise the league matches, while the knockout leg will be held in June.
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"The daily positivity rate has now begun to decline while the recovery rate has been encouraging across India. We are now in a much good situation to conduct the tournament than earlier. We will continue to have bio-secure bubbles to mitigate any potential risk. The Board is committed to providing a healthy and safe environment and seeks your support in ensuring a safe tournament for all our key stakeholders."
The BCCI paid 50% of the earlier match fees to all first-class cricketers who have endured financial losses.
Cricbuzz earlier reported that the office bearers of the Board met on Monday with the sole purpose of finding a way to host the Ranji Trophy. The tournament was not held in 2020-21, with the first wave of the pandemic hitting the country. This season's edition too had to be postponed in the wake of the rapidly evolving third-wave situation.
The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it our cricket will be SPINELESS!
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) January 28, 2022
