Indian cricket will be spineless without Ranji Trophy: Shastri

DAYS after Saurashtra captain and left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat said that lack of practice in red ball has started diminishing both batters’ and bowlers’ skills with the red cherry, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri said the Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket and the premier domestic tournament should not be ignored.

The tournament was scrapped last year due to the coronavirus pandemic while it faced an uncertain future this year too before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Friday that the competition will be held in 2022, but in two phases.

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Earlier in the day, Shastri, who stepped down from the coach’s job last November, said in a tweet, “The Ranji Trophy is the backbone of Indian cricket. The moment you start ignoring it, our cricket will be SPINELESS.”

The BCCI had postponed the tournament along with Col CK Nayudu Trophy and senior women’s T20 League on January 4 in the wake of rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.

The Indian Premier League, the annual cash-rich tournament, however, has been held in 2020 and 2021 and will kick off in March end this year, BCCI said.

Ranji Trophy to be held in two phases: Jay Shah

On Friday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said Ranji Trophy this season would be held in two phases and all league-stage matches would be held in the first one.

“The Board has decided to conduct the Ranji Trophy this season in two phases. In the first phase, we plan to complete all matches of the league stage while the knockouts will be held in June.

“My team is working closely to mitigate any kind of health risk caused by the pandemic, while at the same time ensuring a highly competitive red-ball cricket contest,” Shah said in an official statement.

“Ranji Trophy is our most prestigious domestic competition, which has been providing Indian Cricket with an enviable talent pool every year. It is absolutely important that we take all necessary steps to safeguard the interest of this premier event,” he added.