The Committee, which met here for over two hours, recommended an overhaul of the elite domestic event, which has been struggling for relevance. The BCCI's Working Committee will now study the recommendations and decide on whether to implement them or not.
According to the new format, the 27 teams will be divided into three groups of nine teams each and each team will play eight matches in the league stage. The quarterfinals and semifinals will also be five-day affairs now.
In the previous format, Elite Division was divided into two groups of eight teams (A) and seven teams (B). The Plate Division was divided into two groups (A and B) consisting of six teams each.
"We have recommended two major changes in Ranji Trophy format. There will be nine teams in three groups A, B and C. Each team will play eight matches in the league stage and there will be promotion and relegation," Ganguly told reporters after the meeting.
"The changes will make the competition even and each team will play a few more matches. But all these are recommendations and the BCCI Working Committee will take the final decision," he added.
The new format brings parity in the number of matches that the teams will play against each other in the league stage. Earlier, in the Plate Division, a side could play five matches at the preliminary level.
The top three from group B at the end of the season would be promoted to group A, while the bottom three from the latter group would be relegated to group B.
The last two from group B would go down further to group C, from where the top two would be promoted to group B. MORE