Ranji Trophy to go ahead despite Covid-19 outbreak

Ranji Trophy is scheduled from 13th January to 20th March 2022

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the 87th season of Ranji Trophy will go ahead as scheduled from 13th January to 20th March 2022, despite the Covid-19 outbreak.

Talking to the media on Monday Sourav Ganguly said, “The tournament will go ahead.”

"It is on as per schedule," Ganguly said. Last week, Ganguly had to be hospitalised after contracting the virus, but with doctors opting for Monoclonal Antibody Cocktail therapy, the former India captain is now back home and is "recovering fine".

After cancelling the tournament last year due to the pandemic, the BCCI has decided to host the tournament this time across five venues from Jan 13th.

The group stage fixtures will be held in Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, while the knockout stage fixtures will be played in Kolkata.

There have been 7 positive cases, Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dubey and the team’s video analyst tested for Covid-19. Meanwhile, six players and a staff member of the support staff have tested positive in the Bengal squad.

The sources confirmed that the BCCI is monitoring the Covid situation and has instructed all concerned associations to take necessary action and follow all protocols.

"We are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring that all the players and other stakeholders are safe. The bio-bubbles will be stricter to ensure that there are no major issues," a state association official said. 

"We are following all the protocols. As of now, things are looking okay and if we can maintain the protocols, everything should go smoothly," a state unit official said.

The teams will reach their respective centers in a couple of days and will enter the bubble by January 8.