The 91st edition of the Ranji Trophy kicked-off on Wednesday, marking the start of India’s top domestic cricket competition with 32 teams in action. This season, six teams are competing for the Plate Championship, and a total of 138 matches will be played across two phases. The first phase runs from mid-October to late November, after which the focus will shift to white-ball tournaments, which is for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Ranji Trophy will resume in January, with the final scheduled by the end of February.
Forty-two-time champions Mumbai enters the tournament with strong ambitions under their new captain, Shardul Thakur. After being knocked out in the semi-final by Vidarbha last season, the defending champions and Irani Cup winners Mumbai, will aim to reclaim their old dominance. Ajinkya Rahane continues with the squad, but this season will be the first in two decades without Cheteshwar Pujara’s presence.
Key players to watch out in this Ranji season
Some of the key players to watch include Jharkhand captain Ishan Kishan, Madhya Pradesh batter Rajat Patidar, and Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran. Young bowlers like Harsh Dubey from Vidarbha and Eden Apple Tom from Kerala are also expected to make an impact. Among notable changes, Prithvi Shaw’s move to Maharashtra has drawn attention. Early fixtures such as Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand and Kerala vs Maharashtra promise tough and competitive cricket right from the opening week.
Ranji Trophy 2025: When and where to watch on TV and online?
Cricket fans can watch this Ranji season on select Star Sports channels, while Jio Hotstar’s app and website will stream matches live from different venues in each round. All matches will begin at 9:30 am IST.
In the opening round, three games are being streamed live on Jio Hotstar, namely, Kerala vs Maharashtra, Gujarat vs Assam, and Karnataka vs Saurashtra.
Round 1 Schedule
- Elite Group A: Tamil Nadu will play against Jharkhand in Coimbatore, while Uttar Pradesh will host Andhra in Kanpur.
- Group B will see exciting matches as Saurashtra take on Karnataka in Rajkot and Madhya Pradesh face Punjab in Indore.
- Bengal will host Uttarakhand at Eden Gardens, and Kerala will play against Maharashtra in Thiruvananthapuram.
- In Group D, Delhi will travel to Hyderabad, and Rajasthan will play Chhattisgarh.
- Plate Group matches start early in the Northeast — Sikkim will face Manipur in Rangpo, and Meghalaya will host Mizoram in Shillong.
All matches will be played over four days, ending on October 18. Games in eastern venues will start earlier because of shorter daylight hours
