How many Teams Play in Ranji Trophy - The Answer

The last tournament was held in 2016-17 in Indore, in which 28 teams played in the tournament. The selection process for Ranji is done after several state tournaments, which decide what teams will play the Ranji trophy. These teams were:

1. Andhra: This team is being a part of the Ranji Trophy since its inception
2. Assam: A part of the eastern zone, this team has never got a chance to win the tournament
3. Baroda: Run by Baroda Cricket Association, this is one of the three teams from Gujarat, and is one of the most successful ones
4. Bengal: Representing the state of West Bengal, this is the strongest team of western zone
5. Chhattisgarh: This team became a member of the BCCI in 2016, and played in the tournament for the first time in 2016-17
6. Delhi: Run by Delhi District Cricket Association, this team has won the tournament seven times
7. Goa: Based in Goa, this team has been playing in the tournament since 1985
8. Gujarat: Representing Gujarat, this team has given many notable players to the Indian international cricket team, including Parthiv Patel
9. Haryana: Although this team did not succeed well in the tournament, it gave Kapil Dev to Indian cricket
10. Himachal Pradesh: This team has been playing in the tournament since 1985
11. Hyderabad: Run by Hyderabad Cricket Association, this team has won the trophy two times
12. Jammu and Kashmir: It is a weaker team of the tournament, playing since 1959
13. Jharkhand: After the division of Jharkhand and Bihar, this team replaced the Bihar cricket team
14. Karnataka: One of the most successful teams, it has given many notable players to Indian cricket, including Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad, Javagal Srinath, Robin Uthappa and many others
15. Kerala: Started competing in the tournament in 1957
16. Madhya Pradesh: Has been competing in the tournament since 1950
17. Maharashtra: Based in Pune, it is one of the three teams representing Maharashtra
18. Mumbai: Formerly known as Bombay Cricket Team, it comes under the West Zone
19. Odisha: The team reached quarter finals in the 2016-17 season, but lost
20. Punjab: Earlier playing as Southern, Eastern and Northern Punjab teams, the Punjab team first played as a unified team in 1968
21. Railways: Having home grounds in Delhi and Bhubaneswar, the team is operated by Railways Sports Promotion Board
22. Rajasthan: Won the tournament in the 2010-11 season
23. Saurashtra: One of the three teams representing Gujarat, its notable players are Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja and Jaydev Ujadkat
24. Services (Army): This team represents the Indian armed services of the country
25. Tamil Nadu: Earlier, the team was known as Madras team before renaming of Madras to Tamil Nadu
26. Tripura: Been playing in the Ranji since 1985
27. Uttar Pradesh: Gave numerous international level cricketers, including Suresh Raina, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Mohammad Kaif etc.
28. Vidarbha: This is the third team that represents Maharashtra state. Some of its notable players are Wasim Jaffer and Umesh Yadav

Image: wikimediacommons

Following teams have appeared in the tournament in the past, but have stopped doing so:

1. Central Provinces and Berar
2. Northern India
3. Sind
4. Southern Punjab
5. Western India
6. Bihar
7. North West Frontier Province
8. Holkar
9. Gwalior
10. Kathiawar
11. Patiala
12. Eastern Punjab
13. Travancore-Cochin
14. Madhya Bharat
15. Northern Punjab

Over all these years, the structure of Ranji Trophy has gone through several changes and modifications. Most wins have been recorded in the name of Mumbai team, which has won 41 times till date.

The Ranji Trophy 2018 winners were Vidarbha, representing the Vidarbha region of Eastern Maharashtra.

For more about the Ranji Trophy, we recommend reading:

• What is the Ranji Trophy selection process?
• How to get into an Indian cricket team.

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