Ranji Trophy 2024 will be remembered for a number of reasons. From cricketers getting schooled by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for not playing in Ranji matches to double the prize money for tournament winners Mumbai led by Ajinkya Rahane, and Mumbai winning the Ranji title for a record 42nd time (the Ranji Trophy completed 90 years in 2024).
The Mumbai cricket team will receive an additional Rs 5 crore for winning the Ranji Trophy title on Thursday. Under Ajinkya Rahane's leadership, Mumbai beat two-time champions Vidarbha by 169 runs on the fifth and final day of the match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India awarded Rs 5 crore to the triumphant team, and the Mumbai Cricket Association decided to double the amount to support players who do not have jobs other than playing cricket and to popularise red-ball cricket.
MCA president Amol Kale and the Apex Council said they wanted to increase the prize money. Domestic teams can't quite compete with privately owned IPL teams in terms of player salaries, but the increase in prize money should sustain and incentivize more young cricketers to play for their states. The players will be more drawn toward the Ranji Trophy if it promises good money.
"MCA president Amol Kale and Apex Council have decided to double the Ranji Trophy prize money. The MCA will pay an additional Rs 5 crore to the winning Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. It has been a great year for the MCA as the association has won 7 titles, and we have made it to the knockout stage in all age groups in BCCI tournaments," said a statement from MCA secretary Ajinkya Naik.
Mumbai ended an eight-year wait to lift the Ranji Trophy under head coach Omkar Salvi, appointed last year. "It is an inspiration. It should be intrinsic. The monetary help will give them that security, and it will stabilise them (players) mentally and financially so that they can give more to the game," he said.
After setting a challenging target of 538, Mumbai bowled out Vidarbha for 368 runs. Young batter Musheer Khan, the younger brother of India international Sarfaraz, was the 'Player of the Match' in the final for scoring a century and picking up two wickets.
Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar kept his team in the hunt with an inspiring century (102) but could not cross the finish line.
The BCCI has been promoting domestic cricket. It wants the contracted players to be available for the domestic tournaments if not on national duty or nursing an injury.
Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer lost their BCCI central contract for not being available for selection in the Ranji Trophy.
Iyer, who has been struggling with back spasms, finally appeared for the semifinal and the title-winning final match. He scored a gutsy 95.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
