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2024-25 Ranji Trophy: Format, Teams, Schedule – All You Need!

2024-25 Ranji Trophy Complete Guide

How much do you know about the Ranji Trophy, the second hottest cricket tournament after IPL? It’s India’s oldest and *most prestigious* domestic first-class competition, running strong for 90 years now. If you’re a new cricket fan, you’ve got to check out this article. It’ll break down everything for you: the format, schedule, past champions, and which IPL stars play in it.

The Story of Ranji Trophy

The Ranji Trophy, held once every year, will mark its 90th edition in 2025. It’s India’s oldest cricket tournament and is often called the foundation of Indian cricket. Started by the BCCI in 1934, the competition was named in honor of Ranjitsinhji, the legendary cricketer from the golden era (1880–1910).

The Ranji Trophy doesn’t have the same commercial buzz as the IPL, but its match quality is top-notch. All 28 states of India are represented (currently, there are 38 teams), making the competition super intense. Many star players have earned their spot in the national team with outstanding performances in the Ranji Trophy. Plus, every year, a lot of IPL stars also take part in the tournament!

Unlike the short-format games of IPL and T20, the Ranji Trophy follows a *First-class* structure, which demands more from players in terms of skill and stamina. This makes it a favorite for cricket fans who love the technical and tactical side of the game, keeping the tournament in high regard!

2024-25 Ranji Trophy
2024-25 Ranji Trophy

Ranji Trophy Format Explanation

The Ranji Trophy follows a long-format (First-class) structure, with matches lasting 4 days. Each team has two innings, and there’s no limit on overs. The match continues until 10 batsmen are out or the team declares. The team with the highest score at the end wins.

If a match ends without a winner within the given time, it’s considered a draw, marked as a “D” (Match drawn).

Match drawn
Match drawn
  • Elite Group: There are 4 groups, each with 8 teams, making a total of 32 teams competing for the championship.
  • Plate Group: One group has only 6 teams. The champions and runners-up of the Plate Group can join the Elite Group in the next season.

💡Even though 38 teams are competing, Only the Elite Group teams can compete for the Ranji Trophy title. The Plate Group is for newer teams and smaller regions to have their group.

Ranji Trophy 2025 Teams

Elite Group A Elite Group B Elite Group C Elite Group D Plate Group
Baroda   Vidarbha  Haryana   Chandigarh   Goa
Jammu and Kashmir Himachal Pradesh  Kerala  Tamil Nadu Nagaland
Mumbai   Gujarat Bengal  Railways Mizoram 
Services Rajasthan   Karnataka  Delhi  Sikkim
Tripura   Uttarakhand   Punjab Saurashtra   Manipur
Odisha  Hyderabad   Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh   Arunachal Pradesh 
Maharashtra Andhra Uttar Pradesh Jharkhand   -
Meghalaya Puducherry  Bihar Assam   -

2024-25 Ranji Trophy Schedule

The 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season started on October 11, 2024, and is expected to run until March 2, 2025.

  • Group Stage: October 11, 2024 to February 2, 2025.
  • Knockout stage: February 8 to February 21, 2025.
  • Final Match: February 26 to March 2, 2025.

Elite Group Qualification Process

The 32 Elite Group teams are divided into 4 groups (8 teams per group). The top 2 teams from each group advance to the knockout stage (quarter-finals). Then, it moves to the semi-finals and the final (championship match).

Knockout stage
Knockout stage

Plate Group Qualification Process

In the Plate Group, the 6 teams compete against each other. The top 4 teams move to the knockout stage (1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd). After that, it’s the semi-finals and the final (championship match).

💡The top two teams from the Plate Group will move up to the Elite category for the 2025–26 season. The bottom two teams from each Elite group will be relegated to the Plate category based on points and quotient.🏏

Ranji Trophy Winners List

  • 2023-24 Mumbai 42 titles.
  • 2022-23 Saurashtra 3 titles.
  • 2021-22 Madhya Pradesh 1 title.
  • 2020-21 Saurashtra 3 titles.
  • 2019-20 Saurashtra 3 titles.
  • 2018-19 Vidarbha 2 titles.
  • 2017-18 Vidarbha 2 titles.
  • 2016-17 Gujarat 1 titles.
  • 2015-16 Mumbai 42 titles.
  • 2014-15 Karnataka 8 titles.

Here’s a list of the champions from the last 10 years. Since the Ranji Trophy’s inception in 1934, Mumbai has participated in almost every season. As of the 90th season, they have won 42 titles, the most by any team.

Mumbai, a Ranji Trophy powerhouse, is back in action. The knockout stage starts on February 8. Support Mumbai to win the title by placing your bet with just ₹100.

Mumbai 2023-24 CHAMPIONS
Mumbai 2023-24 CHAMPIONS

List of IPL stars for 2024-25 Ranji Trophy

The IPL stars everyone is excited about participating in this season’s Ranji Trophy are from seven teams: Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha. A total of 10 IPL stars will be part of this season’s competition.

  • Chandigarh: Sandeep Sharma.
  • Madhya Pradesh: Avesh Khan.
  • Mumbai: Shardul Thakur、Tanush Kotian、Shreyas Iyer.
  • Karnataka: Manish Pandey、Prasidh Krishna.
  • Delhi: Navdeep Saini.
  • Tamil Nadu: Vijay Shankar.
  • Odisha: Suryakant Pradhan.
IPL star - Sandeep Sharma
IPL Sandeep – Sharma

IPL stars participate in the Ranji for many reasons, including:

  • To stay ready for international games: The Ranji Trophy, being a long-format tournament, helps improve players’ skills, tactics, and mental strength, especially during international breaks, by maintaining fitness, focus, and consistency.
  • Makes domestic teams stronger: Even though IPL stars are famous internationally, they need good performances in Ranji to stay in the national team. Their involvement also motivates local teams and helps young players learn from them.
  • To meet the rules: BCCI’s new 2024 rule says players who don’t play for the national team must play in the Ranji Trophy to be eligible for IPL, ensuring they don’t neglect domestic cricket and maintain their skills.

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