Ranji Trophy 2021-22 to be held in 2 phases between February 10-June 26

Finally, after a couple of seasons of inactivity, the Ranji Trophy is all set to return from the 2021-22 season. Although it was scheduled to get started last month, the third COVID outbreak in the country delayed it. It will now be played in a couple of phases, starting February 10, with the second phase commencing May 30.

The tournament will be held across nine venues in the country. The first phase will be the league stage, featuring 38 teams and 57 games, which will run between February 10-March 15. The knockouts phase would start from May 30, following the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 conclusion. The phase will have seven matches.

Overall, 64 matches will be held in 62 days, reports ESPNCricinfo. The teams will be divided into nine groups, eight Elite groups of four teams each and a Plate group of six teams. The league stage will consist of three games, each for the Elite teams from their group, while for the Plate, there will be just three designated matches for each side from the group.

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The seven top-ranked teams from the Elite group qualify for the quarters, while the lowest-ranked second-placed team from the Elite groups will face the Plate topper in a virtual pre-quarters. However, it remains to be seen which Elite group will not earn an automatic quarters berth. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to release the playing conditions soon.

The pre-quarters is expected to be played during the first phase, before the IPL 2022 commencement on March 27. Matches of the Elite groups will be played across Rajkot, Cuttack, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Delhi, Haryana and Guwahati, while Kolkata hosts the Plate matches.