Uttarakhand set for Ranji debut

new delhi, June 18 

A team from Uttarakhand will finally feature in the Ranji Trophy, ending an 18-year wait, as BCCI decided to form a nine-member consensus committee to oversee the state's domestic debut in the upcoming season.

The nine-member consensus committee comprises six members from different cricket associations in the state, one Uttarakhand government nominee as it currently owns the international stadium in Dehradun, and two BCCI nominees, including Ratnakar Shetty.

“They (all rival associations in Uttarakhand) have swept aside their differences to ensure that a team from Uttarakhand plays Ranji Trophy and other BCCI tournaments from the upcoming season. So, by consensus, a committee has been formed with BCCI nominees in it. It will start working from next week onwards," CoA head Rai said. CoA member Diana Edulji and BCCI CEO Rahul Johri were also part of the meeting. The consensus committee is expected to be around for one year before a BCCI recognised body is formed. With the BCCI technical committee also recommending the inclusion of Bihar and northeastern states in the upcoming domestic season, the number of teams competing in Ranji Trophy could go up to 36.

The five northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya have conveyed to the Supreme Court that they would like to field independent teams in Ranji Trophy. The previous season saw 28 teams taking part in the premier domestic competition with seven sides divided into four groups. — PTI