RANJI TROPHY 2018

Board forms 'task force' for North-East cricket

by Gaurav Gupta • Published on

The total number of sides in the domestic tournament will be 37 this time. © Agencies

Realising that all the states in the North-East need to be prepared to play in the Ranji Trophy and all the other domestic tournaments this season, the BCCI has formed a 'task force' to develop cricket on a war footing there.

"We'd a meeting on the North-East states issue. It's one thing to tell them that you'll play all the tournaments. You've to also find out what are the resources available there in terms of infrastructure. They've just one ground - how do will five-six age group teams practice or hold selection trials on the same ground? That support the BCCI has to give them," a Board official told TOI.

"The BCCI has thus formed a task force to develop cricket in the North East. It includes BCCI GM cricket operations, Saba Karim, former Board game development manager Ratnakar Shetty, AGM (Cricket Operations) KVP Rao, Ashish Bhowmik, who's the north east (chief) curator and former Bengal player Saradindu Mukherjee," he revealed.

One team from Bihar, N-E group will play in Ranji QF

In order to provide a healthy incentive to these teams, many of whom are in their maiden domestic season, the BCCI has provided an opportunity for one team, amongst the North-Eastern sides and Bihar, to play in the Ranji quarterfinals in the forthcoming season.

The Board had grouped the bottom nine teams, which will include Bihar and the North-Eastern States, playing in the Ranji Trophy for the first time, in the Plate Group. The top team from this pool will qualifies for the quarterfinals, besides getting an entry into Elite Group C next year.

The total number of sides in the domestic tournament will be 37 this time.

Former India wicketkeeper and current GM, cricket operations, Saba Karim has divided the top 18 teams of the 2017-18 season (on the basis of points) into two groups of Elite Group A and Elite Group B, which will have nine teams each.

The 19-28 ranked teams, meaning the next 10 teams, will comprise Elite Group C. The top two teams from Elite Group C which qualify for the quarterfinals will be given an entry in Elite Group A and Elite Group B next season.

On the other hand, the bottom two placed teams combined from Elite groups A & B will be relegated to Elite Group C next season, while the bottom-placed team from Elite Group C will be relegated to Plate.

For the Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy , the Board will split the teams into groups of five each. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super League. The 10 teams in the Super League will then be split into two groups of five teams each, which will play against each other once.

© TNN