Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @gavaskarsunilofficial
Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not giving enough priority to the Ranji Trophy, India’s premier domestic red-ball tournament.
The 90th edition of the Ranji Trophy is currently underway, with several young players making their mark through standout performances.
Gavaskar recently expressed concern about the BCCI’s treatment of the Ranji Trophy, highlighting that many players will miss the tournament due to the upcoming four-match T20I series against South Africa. Additionally, some players will be unavailable as they are set to tour Australia with the India A team.
“Next month, there’s a needless four-match T20 series in South Africa before the tour to Australia. There will also be an ‘A’ team touring Australia next month, so effectively about 50 to 60 players will not be available for their State teams in the premier national tournament, the Ranji Trophy,” wrote Gavaskar in a column.
India will play a four-match T20I series against South Africa starting November 8, which will pull several youngsters away from their Ranji Trophy commitments. Gavaskar also compared India’s approach to that of England and Australia, noting that these countries do not hold A tours during their domestic seasons.
“No other major country treats its national tournament as cavalierly as India does. Have you ever seen England or Australia hold ‘A’ tours or participate in meaningless events during their domestic seasons? Their domestic seasons are sacrosanct, but ever since the IPL came along, the Ranji Trophy has sadly receded into the background. Hopefully, this will change from the next season — or is that hoping for too much?” Gavaskar added.
Meanwhile, Tripura, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu have started their Ranji Trophy campaigns strongly, topping Groups A, B, C, and D, respectively. Defending champions Mumbai lost their first game to Baroda but bounced back with a win against Maharashtra.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
