India has made a great leap in Test cricket. And this might not have been possible without the strong first-class tournaments in the country.
One of the leading pair that has offered Test cricketers to India is the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy.
However, both tournaments have their distinct ways of playing. So, what is the difference between the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy? We will decipher this here.
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Ranji Trophy vs Duleep Trophy: History
Let’s first get a little bit into the history of both tournaments.
Thus, the Ranji Trophy is elder than the Duleep Trophy. The tournament commenced in November 1934.
There was no formal cricket structure in India before the Ranji Trophy that’s why the few tournaments like the Bombay Pentangular were only limited to certain regions.
That’s why there was a need for a national tournament. And then the Ranji Trophy came in, giving a chance to players from all over the country.
Fast forward to 1961, the standard of play in Ranji Trophy was not up to the mark. BCCI had this impression.
Thus, the cricket authority introduced the Duleep Trophy. It was not intended to replace the Ranji Trophy but to raise the level of competition.
The whole idea was to recognize the top performers from the Ranji Trophy. Imagine it as one more platform for the talent to be displayed, but at a more competitive level, outside the comfort of the state team.
Ranji Trophy vs Duleep Trophy: Format
The format is the interesting part of the story. The two tournaments have completely different formats.
The Ranji Trophy implements a round-robin format. Initially, teams play the group rivals and then the knockout stage begins.
On the contrary, the Duleep Trophy has been mostly played in a knockout format. Although there have been a few seasons with a round-robin stage, the total number of matches for either of the two formats will not exceed five or six.
Ranji Trophy vs Duleep Trophy: Teams
The Ranji Trophy will have a total of 38 teams battling it out. The teams are mainly based on Indian states and union territories (UTs).
The teams are then divided into two categories – elite and plate. The elite division consists of four groups having eight teams each, while the plate division has a single group of six teams.
The elite division fights for the shiny Ranji Trophy. On the other hand, the plate division teams try to move up to the elite division.
The plate division winner gets the elevation, and the lowest-ranked team in the elite division is relegated.
In the case of the Duleep Trophy, it is mostly zonal teams that are seen. They correspond to six zones in India – Central, East, North, North East, South, and West.
The 38 Ranji Trophy teams are divided according to these zones. For example, teams like Baroda, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Maharashtra, and Mumbai are part of the West Zone. So the players from these teams will be representing the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy.
Ranji Trophy vs Duleep Trophy: Selection
The Ranji Trophy is played between state and UT teams, which is why the selectors’ choice falls on the respective state/UT association to choose the players. These associations can either conduct tournaments in their regions or organize trials for the selection.
On the other hand, the Duleep Trophy state selectors from a zone have a joint selection of squads. The basis of selection is the player’s performance in last season’s Ranji Trophy.
Ranji Trophy vs Duleep Trophy: Objective
The main aim of both tournaments is almost identical. The reason is that both are national tournaments, thus opening a door to play for India, provided a player performs exceptionally well.
But getting selected for the Duleep Trophy brings a player very close to the selection for India. One can say playing in the Duleep Trophy is just like a mini-India team.
You would have to share the dressing room with players from your zone. This may not be quite easy to get along with the players at the very start. But that’s how the Indian team plays, isn’t it?
Yet, it does not imply that the Ranji Trophy carries less weight. The process of gradually getting from amongst the thousands of players to being the representative of your state is a matter of prestige indeed.
It requires a distinctive talent to be a part of the Ranji Trophy. Many players have even achieved selections to the Indian team based on their performances in the Ranji.
A single great season in the Ranji, and you will find yourself in the zonal team for the Duleep Trophy. Who knows, you may even get to the Indian team!
