The Ranji Trophy is a first-class cricket tournament, and one of the most important cricket championships in India. It is played by teams that represent regional associations, most of them state cricket teams. The competition currently consists of 28 qualified teams with first-class status.
Getting in the world of cricket is not easy, and if you're interested in making it into a professional cricket team, you have to start from a young age. If your dream is to play in the Ranji Trophy, read this oneHOWTO article and get to know what is the Ranji Trophy selection process.
Join a local cricket team
Logically, if you want to play the Ranji Trophy you need to be part of a professional cricket team. First of all, get enrolled in a local cricket club or association where you'll learn the tricks and improve as a player.
If the coach and authorities from the club like you, they might draft you into a team. This team will most likely have different levels, so you'll be able to go up the ladder as time goes by and you improve your skills. Local cricket teams in India play in association-sponsored tournaments: you should perform your best in order to go to the next level. Here you can learn more about how to get into an Indian cricket team and start a career in the sport, eventually joining the Ranji Trophy selection process.
What cricket tournaments do you have to go through?
If your performance in the local cricket association is good enough, you might be selected in district level cricket tournaments.
Once you're playing at a district level, you'll be able to participate in the inter-district tournament, where you'll have to perform your best. Selectors and talent spotters are going to be watching those matches in the inter-district tournament, and they're going to pick up the most outstanding players. The players that have performed exceptionally well may be drafted into the divisional side, which takes place in inter-divisional tournaments.
Inter-divisional tournaments are great to get selected into Ranji Trophy teams, but younger players who have performed exceptionally well at a junior level also have chances to enter directly, without going first through inter-divisional tournaments.
What happens after inter-divisional tournaments?
Selectors watch the players' performances at inter-divisional tournaments and choose the best to participate in a team. In some states, players for state teams are also selected through trials, but overall the performance during the matches is a major criteria in the selection process for the Ranji Trophy.
These players will train under the orders of state association coaches and participate in various tournaments that will work as a preparation for the Ranji Trophy. Once again, you have to perform extremely well in all these tournaments to ultimately get selected to participate in the Ranji Trophy.
Can you join the Ranji Trophy selection process?
We're not going to lie, playing in the Ranji Trophy is not a piece of cake. However, with lots of practice and improving day after day, it's not an impossible task.
What is the Ranji Trophy selection process?
- Join a local cricket association or club.
- Enter their team and play in association-sponsored tournaments.
- Play in district level tournaments.
- Play in inter-district tournaments.
- Get selected by a state team.
- Participate in the Ranji Trophy!
Of course, you should get to know the history of the Ranji Trophy and how it works, as well as how does the Indian Premier League work. If you're interested in participating, you should never stop practicing. Take a look at the following:
- How to practice cricket at home
- How to practice cricket batting by yourself
- How to make a cricket ball
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