The 2024-25 domestic season in India is set for an overhaul with the BCCI keen to stage the Ranji Trophy in two phases to minimise weather-related disruptions, especially in northern India. Under the proposal, which will be considered by the BCCI's Apex Council, the Ranji season could begin in late September or early October.
The first five rounds will be followed by the senior men's white-ball tournaments - the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (50 overs). The rest of the Ranji season, which consists of three rounds of group matches and the knockout stages, will be played immediately afterwards.
In 2023-24, the Ranji Trophy began at the beginning of January, with several matches in the first half of the competition being severely affected by inclement weather. Disruptions due to fog also caused logistical nightmares for a number of teams, prompting a number of captains and coaches to publicly voice their concerns.
The board has also suggested that the interval between matches, especially in the first-class tournaments, should be increased from three to four days. A number of players, most notably Shardul Thakur, had spoken of the need for longer breaks between matches to allow players to recover and prepare better, given the length of the competition.
Mumbai, for example, during their run to the 2023-24 Ranji title, played 10 first-class matches in less than 10 weeks.
Shardul said:
"If boys keep playing like this for two more seasons, there will be a lot of injuries across the country. Next year, they [the BCCI] have to re-look at it and give more breaks. When I remember playing Ranji Trophy back in the day, [a] good seven to eight years back, the first three games used to have a three-day break, and then it was a four-day break, and knockouts were played with five-day breaks."
There has also been much speculation that the BCCI is looking to further increase the match fees for domestic players, following the increase in match fees for contracted Test cricketers.
Еhere are no immediate plans in the pipeline, although discussions about the possibility of central contracts at the state level are ongoing. In March, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) agreed to incentivise its senior men's team with a 100 per cent pay rise from the 2024-25 season.