Picture Credit: BCCI
In the latest development, the BCCI has confirmed the schedule and venues of the Ranji Trophy 2021/22 knockout stages. Ahead of the IPL 2022 season, the group stages and pre-quarterfinal matches have already taken place in different venues. The Covid pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed and now will be played in June.
The Bengal, Jharkhand, Mumbai, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh teams have qualified for the knockout stages. The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will act as the host venue for all-important matches of the premier domestic tournament.
On Thursday, the BCCI sent the intimation to the concerned state associations. The quarterfinals will be played from June 4 to 8, while the semi-finals will be conducted from June 12 to 16. The final of the tournament will get underway on June 20.
Schedule:
June 4-8, First quarter-final: Bengal vs Jharkhand
June 4-8, Second quarter-final: Mumbai vs Uttarakhand
June 4-8, Third quarter-final: Karnataka vs UP
June 4-8, Fourth quarter-final: Punjab vs MP
June 12-16, First semi: Winner of QF1 vs QF4
June 12-16, Second semi: Winner of QF2 vs QF3
June 20-24: Final
As per the report on Cricbuzz, the BCCI chose Bengaluru as the venue due to the weather conditions. The monsoon sets in around the city from the July month, and the city has friendly weather throughout the year, with summers not being much severe as well.
The mandatory quarantine is said to have been removed, but the players need to return with a negative RT-PCR test, with the tournament being played in a bio-bubble.
The Ranji Trophy 2020/21 was cancelled due to the Covid concerns taking a firm grip around the country, which was the first occasion in history.