Ranji Trophy to commence on November 16; Syed Mushtaq Ali to serve as curtain-raiser

In what comes as a huge development for domestic cricketers in the country, the BCCI have confirmed that the 2021/22 domestic season will see the return of Ranji Trophy, the premier four-day domestic competition. Last year, the BCCI cancelled the Ranji Trophy owing to logistical complications caused by the COVID pandemic, and only hosted the two white-ball competitions, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The cancellation hurt domestic cricketers financially, and many feared the worst for this season, due to there being no clarity. 

However, in what comes as a major relief, the BCCI have confirmed that all three major competitions will take place, with the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy serving as the curtain-raiser. SMAT 2021 will commence in October, and it will be followed by the Ranji Trophy, which will be played from November 16. The Vijay Hazare Trophy will take place from February 23, 2022, to March 26, 2022.

Meanwhile, on the women’s side, the season will commence on September 21, 2021, with the Senior Women's One Day League and will be followed by the Senior Women's One Day Challenger Trophy, which will take place from October 27, 2021.

“The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will kickstart on October 20, 2021 with the final to be played on November 12, 2021. The coveted Ranji Trophy, which was cancelled last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will be played in a three-month window from November 16, 2021 to February 19, 2022. The Vijay Hazare Trophy will take place from February 23, 2022 to March 26, 2022,” the BCCI said in a release.

“A total of 2127 domestic games will be played this season across various age groups in the men’s & women’s category. The BCCI is confident of hosting the domestic season with health and safety of players and all people involved being paramount."