"How does it matter if there's no DRS in the final?"- BCCI official on Ranji Trophy 2022 final

Sarfaraz Khan in action in the ongoing Ranji Trophy final. (P.C.:BCCI)

A BCCI official, while speaking to TOI, has made a stunning claim that using the Decision Review System (DRS) in the Ranji Trophy 2022 final between Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh would be 'expensive'. The official feels it doesn't matter much if there is no DRS available, as the best umpires in the country are officiating the match.

The BCCI recently sold IPL TV rights for a mind-boggling INR 48,390 crore. So the statement that the board cannot afford DRS in the Ranji Trophy final raises quite a few eyebrows.

Nth lament of 'Why is there no DRS in Ranji Trophy'. Gourav Yadav nips one back into Sarfaraz, who's only half step forward. Hit on the flap, on back pad. Looks close, close - so close. Not given.

The best batsman across the last two Ranji seasons, potentially gets a life.

Explaining why DRS won't be used in the ongoing final because of the expenses, the BCCI official shed light on how it would need to be introduced in every game. He said:

"We believe in our umpires. It's an expensive exercise to use the DRS. The costs shoot up. How does it matter if there's no DRS in the final? It's time we trusted the umpires. India's two best umpires (KN Ananthapadmanabhan and Virender Sharma) are officiating in this game. And what's the end result? If you use it in the final, you will want to introduce it in the league stage of the Ranji Trophy too."

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BCCI can't have a half-baked DRS: Another source

Another source close to the developments told TOI about the number of different equipments required to ensure that the DRS is made as accurate as possible. The source also added how the limited DRS used in the semifinals and final of the 2019-20 season didn't help much. It stated:

"The rigging (wiring) and derigging of all the equipment will be extremely costly. HawkEye means extra cameras needed. Ranji is done with limited equipment. The argument will then be that why not for all televised games. Look, you can't have a half-baked DRS. The last time, it was used for limited replays to see if there's an edge or not. You can't use the ball trajectory - a critical element of DRS."

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan survived a close LBW call on Day 1 of the final, which could have been a wicket had reviews been available. With the kind of form the 24-year-old is in this season, only time will tell how costly his repriece could prove to be for Madhya Pradesh.