BCCI announces that they will postpone the Ranji Trophy due to the new Covid wave

The BCCI on Tuesday postponed the Ranji Trophy for this season in the wake of rising Covid cases. After the cancellation of the tournament last term, the postponement would cast doubt on the prospects of the premier domestic first-class competition for the 2021-22 season as well. The Ranji Trophy was supposed to start on January 13. But the cricket board has prioritised players’ health.

Along with the Ranji Trophy, Col CK Nayudu Trophy and the Senior Women’s T20 League, too, have been put on hold, as the BCCI stated in its press release: “The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the postponement of the Ranji Trophy, Col CK Nayudu Trophy & Senior Women’s T20 League for the 2021-22 season in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

“The Ranji Trophy & Col CK Nayudu Trophy were scheduled to begin this month while the Senior Women’s T20 League was scheduled to commence in February.”

Addressing the health concerns, the statement added: “BCCI does not want to compromise the safety of the players, support staff, match officials and other participants involved and hence, has decided to put the three tournaments on hold till further notice. The BCCI will continue to assess the situation and take a call on the start of the tournaments accordingly.”

The decision comes on the heels of a Covid outbreak in the Bengal Ranji squad, with several players testing positive. A few days ago, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had to be hospitalised as a precautionary measure after testing positive for the virus. Ganguly is currently in home isolation.