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After proving their mettle in these matches, fringe players get eventual nods for their teams. The actual first-class season begins in the last week of October and it is often noticed that the team that peaks at the right time eventually wins the tournament, as is evident from the finalists: UP and Delhi, who have sidelined major teams like Mumbai and Karnataka at crucial stages of the tournament. Players also have to fight through patches wherein form deserts them in batting, rhythm in bowling, and confidence in wicketkeeping and fielding. After each failure, the toughest part is to spend the evening - when you doubt yourself and your abilities. The players who succeed are the ones who forget about the previous day and sleepless night, and begin the next day with hope and optimism. This trend has to continue over a consistent period of three months.

Selectors, who do honorary jobs in most of the states, are also pleased to see players whom they have given an opportunity to, repay the faith placed in them by performing and contributing to the team cause. Administrators, too, have to undergo difficult situations while staging the matches, arranging the travel itinerary, ensuring that Under-19 and Under-22 players are made available for the Ranji Trophy matches, and then rewarding the teams for bringing glory to the associations. Trainers ensure that they engineer the players’ fitness according to the nature of the job. And physios maintain these lean machines through proper care, injury prevention and injury management. Most of the coaches have played the game themselves, and help the teams in preparing well, giving strategic inputs, maintaining discipline, and encouraging players and keeping the team spirit going. The coaches also realise that playing was much easier than coaching, as once the game starts, the coach has no control on how the players deal in match situations. To de-stress themselves, they get into the healthy habit of drinking a lot of water.

As only 260-odd players have managed to get an India Test cap in about 75 years of the history of Indian cricket, for a bulk of the players, winning the Ranji title is a high point of their careers and something they can be really proud of. For the finalists of the Plate League - Railways and Gujarat - regaining a place in the Elite League is an achievement, as playing in the Plate League has its own set of challenges. Even though some of the teams are weaker, the playing conditions are tougher, as all matches are played on sporting wickets and teams want to get as many outright wins as possible and qualify for the all-important semi-final stage. Once that has been achieved, the teams can’t slip during the semi-finals as that can spoil all the efforts during the season.

Sterner tests lie ahead for players getting selected in the zonal teams, as the Duleep Trophy is one of the tougher competitions on the domestic circuit. As the Duleep Trophy is an opportunity to catch the eye of the national selectors, the team spirit among players collected from different states is often missing. That team spirit, which is central in a state team, is what makes a Ranji Trophy triumph so special.

I would like to observe, that, in the end, it all boils down to the confidence of the player, as to how well he performs. How else can you explain, the enigma, that is VVS Laxman? He is the most beautiful batsman, but his batting, is not for the text book. No one can teach him to bat the way he does. If you watch the position of his hands, on super slow motion, while he is executing his on drive flick, it is the safest of all shots. He plays it, because he has taught himself, to be more confident than others. I also believe, that more players should be given the chance to play first class domestic cricket, so that their talents are on exhibit. There could be more than one domestic first class tournament taking place at a particular time. First class tournaments should be less individually significant, and more in number, to facilitate what was mentioned before.

Sanjay, I feel this article was nothing but a very polished way of drawing up the domestic situation. Especially the lines about selectors and administrators are blatantly political and hypocritic. Even less significant states like Kerala have so much of politics within, which actually led Sreesanth to criticise the administartion and seniors. It is also not a one-off that teams do not even have proper nets before the start of the season. Kerala, for instance, dide not even have a single turf wicket to practice on before the previous Ranji season. And I am not sure how many players will agree that all matchs in the Ranji Trophy are played on "sporting wickets". I feel the article is based on a hope for the better.Well, nothing personal here too!

Hi Sanjay, Once again a fantastic piece on the Ranji scenario. May be in your next post, you should write something about how players cope up with various experinces while travelling, sharing rooms and the routine which a player goes through, during this three month period. As i feel it is very important for a team to gel, off the field apart from on the field. Infact when we (karnataka) won the Ranji trophy in 1998, the team had hired a bus for all its league games which got all the players closer and helped us understand each other better. I am sure Railways team travel a lot and you will probable have a lot to share with us. Cheers and Fantastic effort in the finals of the plate group. keep it going.