Changes proposed in Ranji points, overs

The BCCI technical committee has proposed measures to make Ranji Trophy matches more result-oriented. The changes suggested by the Anil Kumble-headed committee include increasing the number of overs per day from 90 to 95 and doing away with the point currently awarded to a side for saving a match.

The preliminary suggestions were discussed in the working committee meeting on April 26. The BCCI's governing body has asked for a final proposal in its next meeting. The technical panel is likely to provide that after meeting again next month.

It is understood that the working committee responded positively to the suggestion of points modification. However, some members were wary about increasing the number of overs. It was pointed out that teams struggle to bowl 90 overs even with half an hour's extension, so bowling 95 would be impractical.

After assessing last season's Ranji results, which had results in 62 out of 115 games, the technical committee suggested adding five overs to each of the four days' play to increase the possibility of a result.

Kumble and Co have also proposed to do away with the single point for salvaging a draw after conceding the lead. The working committee was briefed that with the existing format, teams are content with the first-innings result in most cases since both teams gain points, with three awarded for gaining the lead.

As a result, the side that concedes the lead doesn't really push for victory, making the second innings redundant on numerous occasions. The technical committee felt by taking away a point for earning a draw, the teams will end up being more aggressive.

The other major suggestion was to increase the number of overs to be bowled in a day to 95, without adding additional playing hours. This would not only give 20 more overs to produce results but would also make the game faster. It is observed that the Ranji Trophy sometimes sees too many stoppages, with teams happy to slow down proceedings. The suggestion is drawn from Australian domestic cricket, where 96 overs are bowled in a day in a first-class game.