Ranji Trophy begins its 92nd season with 38 teams playing 138 matches

The 92nd season of the Ranji Trophy began with 38 teams competing across 138 matches for the title. Mumbai holds the record for the most tournament titles with 42 wins, while Jammu and Kashmir enter the season as the defending champions after winning their first title last year by defeating Karnataka on a first-innings lead. The championship was first established in July 1934 by the Board of Control for Cricket in India with 15 teams, and the trophy was donated by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.

Format And Schedule

The 2026-27 season runs from October 11, 2026, to March 3, 2027, split across two stages with a break in between for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy. The 32 Elite division teams are divided into four groups where each side plays seven matches, while six teams compete in the Plate division. League matches last four days and knockouts last five days, with first-innings leads deciding winners if knockout matches end in a draw.

Opening Matches

Saurashtra posted a strong first-innings total of 392 runs against Chhattisgarh after being asked to bat first, driven by centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Prerak Mankad. Ravindra Jadeja scored 102 runs from 209 balls with seven fours before being dismissed by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, while Prerak Mankad made 129 runs from 150 balls with 15 fours and one six. Chirag Jani added 83 runs from 148 balls, and Harvik Desai contributed 20 runs. Chhattisgarh bowler Dev Aditya Singh took five wickets for 67 runs in 24 overs, alongside two wickets each from Rudra Pratap and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and one wicket from Sandeep Warrier.

Context

Domestic red-ball cricket in India serves as the primary testing ground for cricketers looking to break into the national Test team. Performances in these multi-day matches help national selectors evaluate player endurance and skill over longer formats of the game.