Considering Virender Sehwag’s advice of reducing the gap between domestic games especially in Ranji Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reduced the number of games for each team for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season for 2017-18.
Last year, Sehwag had suggested the board to shorten the gap between games to reduce the heavy workload on the fast bowlers. The BCCI seems to have accepted that suggestion, as the teams will now play two games less at the group stage of this upcoming season.
The Times of India, which claims to have a copy of this year’s Ranji Trophy schedule, reported that the BCCI had divided the 28 domestic teams into four groups – A, B, C & D, comprising seven sides each.
“Seven teams in each group will balance the tournament nicely, unlike the previous format (10+10+9). Most importantly, this format will help us manage the workload of the bowlers, particularly the Pacers, in a better way. Keeping Sehwag’s suggestion in mind, this time we’ve consciously kept a four-day gap between all games in the Ranji Trophy.
“This will help the bowlers recover well for the next game. Earlier, a bowler from a Ranji-winning team would end up bowling in 12 games within a few months. That workload has been reduced by two games,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
In the last five editions of the tournament, the teams were needed to play eight games in the league stage since the board had divided 27 teams into three groups (A, B & C) and consequently each pool had nine teams.
According to the new format, two teams from each of the four groups will progress to the quarterfinals. In the previous format, under which three teams were advancing from the A & B groups (comprising the top-ranked, elite teams), and two teams from the C group (consisting of the lower ranked place teams).
The tournament will begin on October 6 while the knockout will start with the quarterfinals from December 7-11. The semifinals will be played from December 17-21 and the final from December 29-January 2. The Irani Cup will follow the tournament from January 11-15.