The Ranji Trophy is one of the most important first-class cricket championships of India. In this championship, different regional cricket associations select a team to represent them. There are 27 teams in the Ranji Trophy, most of them from different Indian states and territories.
If in this oneHOWTO article we told you how to get into an Indian cricket team, in this one we'll discuss how to get selected in Ranji trophy.
Origin and history of the Ranji Trophy
The name of the championship comes from Ranjitsinhji, who was also Jam Saheb or ruling prince of Nawanagar during the first decades of the 20th Century. "Ranji" became one of the most famous cricket players of all time, changing the sport forever.
In July 1934, a year after Ranjitsinhji's death, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) held a meeting in which it was decided to hold an important competition. It was named "The Cricket Championship of India", which shows how important and wide-reaching was this trophy expected to be come. The first matches took place in the 1934-1935 season.
The first match of the competition that would become the Ranji Trophy was held between the teams of Mysore and Madras at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on the 4th November, 1934. Eventually, the Bombay team - nowadays called Mumbai - won the Cricket Championship of India over the North India team.
The trophy for the tournament was donated by Bhupinder Singh, Maharaja or ruler of Patiala. He was also behind the decision of naming the championship after Ranji the next season: this is the origin of the Ranji Trophy as we know it. Until now, Mumbai is the team with the most Ranji Trophy victories.
Who participates in the Ranji Trophy?
In order to play in the Ranji Trophy, state teams and first-class cricket clubs and associations must qualify. Most of the teams that play in the championship are regional or statal, such as Delhi, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, etc. Almost all states have a team to play for them in the Ranji Trophy.
However, out of the 28 current teams, some of them are India-wide. These teams include the Services cricket team, who represent the Indian army, and the Railways cricket team, which has two home grounds, one in New Delhi and the other in Bhubaneswar. Take a look at our article on how many teams play in Ranji Trophy for more details.
How to get selected in Ranji Trophy
The first thing that everyone interested in playing cricket professionally should know is that there is no shortcut to a career in this popular sport.
If you want to get selected for Ranji Trophy and represent your state or company, you should start playing and practicing cricket in a club or team from a very young age. The sooner you start to enhance your cricket skills, the better shot you have at playing cricket professionally and play at the Ranji championship.
Keeping these points in mind, in order to get selected for Ranji Trophy you should take the following steps:
- Start as early as you can and play and practice daily. It’s best to join a club for daily practice sessions of cricket and enhance your skills with a coach, who will help you sharpen your style and precision. Don't forget to work out regularly to build your strength and stamina.
- Play for your school or local team and participate in as many cricket competitions as you can. Do some research as to what teams in your region have better results and get in touch with them. You can get spotted go to the National Cricket Academy for a better chance to be spotted to play at a semi-professional level.
- If your performance is good at local and regional competitions, you will be selected to play district-level tournaments.
- Try to give your best performance in the district-level tournaments, as it will be the deciding factor to get selected in Ranji Trophy. Of course, you'll also need a bit of luck.
At oneHOWTO we'd like to help improve your cricket skills, which is why we have prepared some articles for you to practice day by day:
- How to buy a cricket kit
- How to practice cricket at home
Finally, here you can learn more about what is the Ranji Trophy selection process.
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