Domestic cricket may see major overhauling

If the recommendations of the BCCI technical committee is approved, then the domestic cricket in the country will go through significant changes.

The committee, headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, with Anil Kumble as special invitee, has suggested to do away with the Elite and Plate Leagues.

The committee met at the Cricket Centre on Tuesday and discussed at length various issues related to domestic cricket. The committee was appointed by the Working Committee of the Board at its meeting on 12th May this year.

According to the new recommendations, the 27 teams of the Ranji Trophy will be divided into three groups of 9 teams each. Three teams from Group A and B and two teams from Group C, will qualify for the Knockout stage.

In the league stage each team will play eight matches and there will be promotion and relegation as well. The committee feels this will make the competition even and will allow each team to play few more matches.

The Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final will be of five-days. If in the Knockout phase, a result on first innings is not obtained at the end of the fifth day, then the match will be extended into a sixth day. If a result on first innings is not obtained even at the end of the sixth day, then the winner will be decided on the spin of a coin.

Till today the Ranji Trophy was divided in two leagues- 15 teams were in the Elite and 12 teams were in the Plate. Both the leagues were further divided into two groups each. Earlier Plate Teams used to play only five matches before the knockout phase.


Some changes are also proposed in the point system. An outright win may give six points instead of five. The committee has also recommended the new sequence of domestic cricket. Which could start from Duleep Trophy and then NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, Vijay Hazare Trophy Deodhar Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played.

There are few more significant suggestions for the new season but all these recommendations will come into effect only if it is approved by the BCCI in its next working committee meeting.