Will BCCI cancel Ranji Trophy and other domestic cricket due to COVID-19?

Will BCCI cancel Ranji Trophy: The ongoing pandemic is likely to have a significant impact on the Indian domestic cricketers.

The continuous surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in India is likely to have a direct impact on the Indian domestic season 2020-21. Had it not been for the global pandemic, the domestic season would have started in some form or the other or would be nearing in start.

Earlier, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) President Sourav Ganguly had opened up with state associations regarding conducting a truncated tournament much like the ongoing domestic season in England.

In such a scenario, the BCCI could have either conducted domestic tournaments zone-wise and not state-wise or completely scrapped one or two tournaments to organize the remaining ones.

In a country which has 37 domestic teams, the idea of playing inside a bio-bubble is nothing but impossible. With no decrease in the number of cases, even playing with restrictions is a daunting task as thousands of players will have to travel to reach their respective zonal centres.

In addition to the tournaments like Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Irani Trophy etc., there are other multiple tournaments involving women’s tournaments and age-group tournaments across formats.

Will BCCI cancel Ranji Trophy and other domestic cricket due to COVID-19?

Speaking in a latest interaction with The Times of India, a source in the vicinity of BCCI revealed how planning is almost impossible amidst the current COVID-19 status in India.

“In certain states, it’s bad. In other states, it’s worse. The numbers are unrelenting. In such a scenario, how does one plan anything over a period of three or four months, when you’re not sure what’s in store tomorrow,” sources in the know-how of developments were quoted as saying by Times of India.

Further speaking on the matter, the source highlighted how conducting a domestic season during this period would involve plentiful permissions at various levels. The only possibility for BCCI to conduct a domestic season (in whatever capacity) is if the country experiences a significant decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases.

“First, the state government permissions would be required. Then the city-specific municipalities will need to give a go-ahead.

“And even if that happens, preparing a bio-secure bubble for 37 Ranji teams, five Duleep Trophy teams, and the several other domestic teams would be next to impossible. Travel and accommodation will be another concern. It’s not feasible,” sources told The Times of India.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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