In the latest apex council meeting, held in Mumbai on Thursday, the Board Of Control For Cricket In India (BCCI) has decided to increase the prize money of Ranji Trophy winners to Rs 2 crore.
This is the direct consequence of the IPL media rights sale for the next five years, through which the BCCI has generated a whopping Rs 48,390 crore. Moreover, the prize pool of domestic tournaments like Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will also be increased.
Read More: BCCI’s Recent Rs 48,000 Crore IPL Media Rights Auction Bonanza Contrasts Starkly With The Poverty Of Its Early Days
From the next season onwards, Ranji Trophy will also see the return of pre-pandemic formats, where 32 teams will be pooled across four Elite groups, and the remaining six in the plate group. A team winning the plate group will earn direct entry to the quarter-finals of the tournament
As many as 1,773 domestic games across different age-groups will be organised. “We couldn’t find space with so many matches to be played during the domestic season which is scheduled to start from September this year,” the BCCI official said.
Read More: How IPL Media Rights Auction Will Change the Sports Landscape
Duleep Trophy, the prestigious white-ball competition, will resume later this year, while the under-16 category of the women’s tournament is the new addition. The Deodhar Trophy – a triangular series between India Red, India Blue, and India Green – has been scrapped because of the packed schedule.
In the ongoing season, the umpiring standard has been rather underwhelming, and many have criticised the world’s richest board for not having the DRS (Decision Review System). The apex council discussed this issue and now, we may see the DRS from the next season.
Currently, Nitin Menon is the only Indian umpire who is a member of the ICC Elite panel. To improve umpiring standards in the country, the board has also introduced the grading system at the domestic level. As many as ten umpires are placed in the A+ category, twenty in Group A, and sixty in Group B.
“When it comes to assigning duties across domestic events, starting at the top with Ranji Trophy, preference will be given group wise. The grouping has been done after reviewing the performances of the 2021-2022 season,” said the official to Indian Express.
Featured Image: BCCI/ ScreenGrab
