Hyderabad: The Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season kicks off on October 11, 2024, featuring 32 Elite teams competing for the prestigious trophy, alongside six Plate teams striving for promotion to the Elite group. On the opening day, 16 matches will be held across various venues in India.
This season introduces a restructured format that includes a promotion-relegation system between the Elite and Plate divisions. To address weather-related disruptions experienced in the previous season, the 90th edition of the tournament will also be conducted in two phases. The first phase will run from October 11 to November 16, followed by a break for domestic white-ball tournaments. The second phase will commence on January 23, 2025, with the Elite knockout rounds beginning on February 8, 2025.
This season will showcase some of the finest talent in Indian cricket, including stars like Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai), Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai), Ishan Kishan (Jharkhand), Akash Deep (Bengal), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra), and Cheteshwar Pujara (Saurashtra), among many others.
Mumbai, the most successful team in Ranji Trophy history, has claimed the trophy 42 times, including their victory over Vidarbha last season, and will be chasing yet another title under Rahane's captaincy. Karnataka, with eight titles, ranks as the second-most successful team, followed by Delhi, which has won the tournament seven times.
Ranji Trophy 24-25 Group Divisions:
Elite Group A:Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mumbai, Odisha, Services, Tripura
Elite Group B:Andhra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha
Elite Group C:Bengal, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh