Getting domesticated

Ranji Trophy has regained its lost charm thanks to the IPL, finds out Aabhas Sharma

For decades, the Ranji Trophy has been considered the biggest platform for cricketers to make their mark and get noticed. You had to toil hard, keep on performing consistently and live in hope that your chance will come soon. The cricketers play in front of a spectators numbering in three figures — that too if they are fortunate — and get very limited TV coverage. However, these things never mattered to the players as the people who they want to impress — the selectors — are supposed to be keeping tabs on their performances.

Nothing much has changed in that aspect. The means remain the same but the end has changed. Players put their best foot forward to be in the reckoning of the national team, now they do it for a contract with the IPL franchise. And there’s nothing wrong in it, according to former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra, “The IPL has become a good entry point for cricketers into the national team,” says the Delhi opener.

Things were different in the pre-IPL days. Domestic cricket was the only chance for youngsters to make an impression and boost their chances of playing for India. “You had to be in top form and not just show glimpses of your talent,” says Chopra.

Today, if you show potential then chances are that an IPL team would come calling and snap you up on a contract. You might not get into the team directly but the money is great and you get a chance to rub shoulders not only with the Indian cricketers but also some of the international cricketers. Virat Kohli is the prime example of this. Kohli, who arrived on the cricketing scene after leading India to the U-19 World Cup triumph, has become a regular in the ODI and T20 squad. He has played in 24 first-class games but has been a star for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. In fact, while the RCB have decided to release stalwart Rahul Dravid from their team roster for the 2011 IPL, they have retained the services of Kohli.

Gyanendra Pandey, coach of the Uttar Pradesh Ranji team offers a different perspective. “The IPL will get you noticed and you will make the T20 team at the most but for Test cricket you have to prove yourselves in Ranji Trophy,” says 38-year-old Pandey. He cites the example of fast bowler Sudeep Tyagi, who had a fantastic debut season in 2007-8 and took 41 wickets but had to toil hard for a place in the Indian team. He was picked by Chennai Super Kings as well but waited two years to make his debut for India’s ODI team. “You can’t hope to get into the Indian team just on the basis of a few good IPL performances,” says Pandey. He agrees that IPL has changed the way cricketers look at the game these days. “They want a IPL contract and you can’t blame them given the lucre involved,” he adds. Cheteshwar Pujara is another example of someone who has gone through the rigours of domestic cricket to get a place in the Test side. Pujara, who is a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders but has hardly played for them finds himself as one of the future stars of Indian test team. The difference between Kohli and Pujara is that both are regulars in Indian team but in different formats. “This is where the importance of domestic cricket comes in,” says Pandey. You can be a star and land endorsements — like Kohli has — but the coveted spot in the Test team remains elusive.

The new rules of IPL have fixed salaries for uncapped Indian players. A player stands to earn Rs 10 lakh per annum if the player has not played or played his first Ranji Trophy in the last two seasons; Rs 20 lakh per annum if the player figured in Ranji Trophy in the last four years; Rs 30 lakh per annum if the player played the Ranji Trophy for the last five years. And there is a caveat in there as well. A player should have played in 60 per cent of his team’s matches in the Ranji Trophy in order to be placed in the uncapped pool of players. “Even to get into the IPL, the BCCI has ensured that players go through the rigours of domestic cricket,” says Chopra. So you can’t by-pass domestic cricket at any point of time.

It’s not only an opportunity for the youngsters staking their claim for a place in the Indian team but also for the forgotten men of Indian cricket. Take Irfan Pathan or Mohammed Kaif for example. Both represent Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals respectively but are aware that sloppy performances can result in their contract being cancelled. Even former Indian captain and batting great Sourav Ganguly is playing in the Ranji trophy this year to be match-fit for the IPL.

Priorities have changed for today’s generation of cricketers. While not many admit it, getting an IPL deal has become a greater need than even playing for the country. “Players have to think about their financial securities and IPL takes care of that,” says Pandey. But even there you have to work hard as T20 is the most unforgiving format of cricket. One bad performance can set your career back. Forget India, even the other IPL teams will not touch you for a few years. “There’s no substitute for hard work whether you play for Delhi, Delhi Daredevils or India,” says Chopra.

It’s ironical how people had questioned the future of domestic cricket when the IPL had just appeared on the scene. “Many of us thought that there goes the Ranji trophy,” says Mithun Manhas, captain of the Delhi Ranji team. But it has become an integral part of the cricketing calendar, especially as it takes place just before the IPL auction happens. The big names of Indian cricket might stay away from Ranji Trophy, even the spectator interest remains at an all-time low, but there’s no denying that domestic cricket has regained its importance in the annual cricketing calendar. We can thank Lalit Modi for this.