Five reasons why people should watch the Ranji Trophy
Ranji Trophy is one of the finest domestic cricket tournaments in the world where players give their best in order to make it to the national team. The competition was named after Ranjitsinhji, also known as Ranji, who was the first Indian cricketer to play for England and Sussex.
The tournament comprises of 27 teams which are divided into three pools A,B, and C. During the group stages, all the teams play a minimum of eight matches each. Three teams from pools A and B make it to the quarter-finals while two teams from Pool C qualify for the next round. Mumbai has been the most successful Ranji team, winning the elite tournament, a record 41 times.
The rules in the Ranji trophy are pretty strange. If the game ends in a draw, the outcome of the match is decided on the basis of the teams’ performance in the first innings. Despite this, however, the Ranji trophy is still a must watch for every cricket fan in the world. Here are 5 reasons why:
#1 To get a glimpse of younger players:
Ranji Trophy is one of the few tournaments where one can witness young talents getting nurtured and showcasing their skills to the world. Getting a place in the Ranji side is a struggle in itself as a player must prove himself across many division leagues in state cricket.
Indian cricket has discovered many young talents like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Yuvraj Singh through domestic cricket and they have been given exposure to the international arena very early in their career. Sachin was a child prodigy who made it big in Ranji cricket. Aged just 15, Sachin made his debut for Mumbai against Gujarat and scored a fabulous 100 not out which made him the youngest Indian cricketer to score a century on debut, an outstanding feat indeed.
Also read: Ranji Trophy 2016-17: 5 players to watch out for
Currently, there are many young cricketers like Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Manan Vohra and Shreyas Iyer to name but a few who are excelling in domestic competitions and watching these young players showcasing their skills will help viewers get a better reading of the game and also give an insight into how youngsters approach the game these days.