Ranji Trophy

The Ranji Trophy is an annual domestic first-class cricket championship played in India. It is organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and teams representing the various member associations of the BCCI take part in the tournament. In the 2025–26 season, the competition was contested by 38 teams, including at least one team from each of the 28 states and four of the eight union territories. The matches are held across various cricket grounds and stadiums in India. The championship was first organised in 1934–35, with the inaugural match held between Madras and Mysore at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on 4 November 1934. When the tournament was founded, it was named as the "Cricket Championship of India". Before the second edition of the tournament in 1935–36, it was renamed after Ranjitsinhji, who was the first Indian to play international cricket. Since the inaugural edition, the tournament has been organised annually except in 2020–21, when it was suspended due to COVID-19. Mumbai is the most successful team with 42 titles to its name. Jammu and Kashmir are the defending champion.