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Is a 37-team Ranji Trophy a good thing?

by Cricbuzz Staff • Last updated on

Is more the merrier the case for India's premier tournament? © Cricbuzz

The introduction of nine new teams will mean as many as 37 teams will be participating in the 2018-19 edition of the Ranji Trophy, with the premier domestic competition returning to the Elite-Plate format. The existing 28 teams will be spread among three Elite groups, with the top five teams from Group A and B combined getting through to the knockouts along with the top two teams from Group C and the table topper of the Plate Group.

As per the current structure, the top Plate team will be promoted to the Elite Group C in the following season while the top two teams from Group C will receive a promotion to Group A and B. Meanwhile, the bottom two teams from A and B will be relegated to C while the bottom team from C will be further moved down to the Plate group.

Will this system serve towards an improved quality of domestic cricket or prove to be counter-productive?

View: The system erodes the quality of cricket

The Supreme Court ruling to include Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Puducherry, Sikkim, and Uttarakhand in the roster has resulted in an expanded domestic circuit. Having them grouped under the Plate division makes sense, considering their inexperience which could have resulted in mis-matches had they been pitted against some of the formidable teams. That the top team from the group will still progress for the knockout stage and earn a promotion for the next season, has provided some scope for competition in the group.

The current structure comes across as a three tier one, with A and B being the primary teams, C at a middling level and Plate being the lowest. Instead of such a structure, it might have served the Indian domestic scene better had the framework for Ranji Trophy been on the lines of English cricket with a slight modification. The England County structure has two Divisions and follows the promotion-relegation concept. However, in ensuring that the tier 1 teams alone compete for the Championship, quality of cricket is at the highest. Meanwhile the best among tier 2 teams still earn a promotion and stand a chance to win the trophy in the following season.

With 37 teams, it wouldn't be practical for 18 teams currently under Group A and B to play against each other. But, by having those 18 teams under two groups in a Division One Ranji Trophy and the remaining teams in two groups in a Division two type competition, both independent of each other, might have provided for a better structuring and quality of competition. Even considering that such a scenario would mean increased number of matches which would give rise to problems such as availability of grounds, officials and resources.

This would have also instilled the necessity among the Plate teams to get up to speed in terms of the kind of set-ups and personnel required to compete at the first-class level. Group C teams, while not necessarily at the same level as A and B, would still come across as quality sides for the new entrants. Not throwing them at the deep end while at the same time ensuring that it is not just wading through ankle deep water. At the same time, it would also serve as a tougher proving ground for the C teams who are neither here not there.

The current system also restricts the up and down movement of the Plate teams, with only one team assured a spot in the knockouts and a promotion. In a situation where one team is yet to register a victory - be it through losses or rained-out games - and another team has two or three victories, it skews the level of competition. The other teams might be inclined lose heart and give up mid-way, leading to a decline in the competitiveness of the tournament. Enlarging the window of opportunities and providing better rewards would have addressed this possible issue.

Counterview: The move expands the range in India

The inclusion of nine new teams means the game is being to taken to not-so-familiar-territories, which serves as a great opportunity to expand the range of cricket in India. This increases the pool of players and helps with talent-hunting. Subsequently, the number of grounds will increases and as the infrastructure grows, the quality of cricket improves.

The teams have a great chance of going hand-in-hand with experienced senior pros, which helps in the development of a player. Mohammad Kaif taking charge of Chhattisgarh in their debut season in 2016 is an example.

This move also opens up opportunities for coaching staff/mentors to try out their hand at nurturing talent and improve their skills. There could be a few careers reviving, blossoming somewhere in a part of the country by a former/active cricketer. Ask Dinesh Karthik.

As the new entrants will be part of a plate group playing among themselves, the level of competition is even and the best performer gets to play the knockouts and it will help them assess their quality, brand of cricket when they face the elite teams. The best part is they even have the chance to go all the way and be crowned champions. You never know, like Rajasthan, Vidarbha etc. there could be a few new stories to tell.

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Saksham Madan

In my opinion, a direct admission of the 9 new teams to the country's premier cricket league is certainly a bold, may be even forced but not a wise decision by the cricket's governing body in India - BCCI.

Being the ace tournament that acts as (or should act as) a stage for the best domestic cricketers to find their way to the national team, Ranji Trophy should set certain ground rules and benchmarks for new teams to be a part of it.

Considering the inexperience of the new teams, there's a high chance of the knockout stage matches of Ranji Trophy involving that one team from the Plate group, that eventually makes the cut, to be heavily skewed in favour of the teams who have been a part of the setup for decades now, with their both on field and off field capabilities. This will result in a further decline of interest in the Ranji Trophy matches which already struggles to find spectators even during high profile domestic clashes.Moreover, such drubbings from seasoned teams may prove morale shaking for these new entrants.

So, the question comes - What's the solution? How to give the right platform to these teams without compromising with the standards of the premier domestic tournament?

The answer and a better way is to simply organize a separate qualifying tournament altogether for the 9 new teams (or even more) instead of inducting them in F1 race of India's domestic cricket setup. Not only it will give them time to develop an understanding of the increased scale of competition they are going to face next season, if they qualify, but will also create several opportunities for specialists from different areas of the game to extend their services to these teams. And they won't just help them to win the Qualifying tournament but also prepare them for the bigger challenges ahead, with their skills and experience.

Moreover, with the qualifying clause now in the picture, the new relegation system adopted in the latest format (with 37-teams) needs to be reviewed. There should be at least 3 teams relegated to the lower groups. Such high number (if one thinks it is high) will only instill a sense of fear, shame and responsibility for teams performing poorly and will definitely push them to improve their game and will thus eventually lead to improvement in the level of competitiveness.

Competitiveness will certainly improve, especially for the participants in least attractive Group C, because for them relegation would mean playing in a Qualifying tournament with the newcomers in the next season. And the remaining six newcomers will benefit from next year by getting the opportunity to compete alongside 3 teams carrying immense experience from the premier tournament.

It is actually a historic and highly commendable move by BCCI to finally have thought of expanding the scope of the game to more parts of the country, however a little more thought process was also expected to ensure not to dilute the essence of its premier domestic tournament, if they can't improve it.

So in all, a qualifying tournament instead of creating a fourth group to Ranji Trophy could be a better decision in my opinion, leading to a win win situation for all and no embarrassments for anyone either.

I hope these suggestions could also reach to the people who matter (BCCI) and even if they do not reconsider their decision this year (since the announcements have already been made), at least they think about it the next year when they sit down for a meeting on deciding the domestic cricket structure and calendar.

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