Ranji Trophy Winners, Format & Best Players from 1934-2023

Ranji Trophy is amongst the oldest and most prominent first-class cricket championship played in India. Several regional and state cricket associations’ teams compete in the Ranji tournament. It is one of the most competitive domestic tournaments across the world where the best talent in the country compete to hone and demonstrate their cricketing skills.

The competition is named after Ranjitsinhji, Maharaja Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, also known as Ranji to commemorate his illustrious career in cricket. He is believed to be one of the best cricketers India has ever produced. The inaugural Ranji Trophy was played in 1934-35, comprising of 15 teams. Mumbai was the first team to make its name in the Ranji Trophy winners list; they defeated North India in the final and became the maiden champions. There have been a total 86 seasons by 2019-2020, amongst which 41 have been won by Mumbai.

Ranji Trophy 2022-23 Format

Ranji Trophy 2023 is the 88th cricket tournament season currently hosting by India. It has started on 13 December 2022 and finished on 20 February 2023. There are currently two divisions for the Ranji Trophy competition: Elite and Plate. The 38 teams would have earlier played for the same trophy. But, under the current structure, there will be two winners for the Ranji Trophy: one from the Elite groups and one from the Plate groups.

There are five groups formed of 38 teams. The Plate Groups contain six teams, while the Elite Groups consist of four groups with eight teams each.

Ranji Trophy 2022-23 Groups

Elite A: Uttar Pradesh , Bengal, Haryana, Baroda, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland.

Elite B: Maharashtra, Mumbai, Assam, Hyderabad, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra

Elite C: Puducherry, Jharkhand, Goa, Rajasthan, Services, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh

Elite D: Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura, Gujarat, Vidarbha, Railways Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir

Plate Group: Meghalaya, Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar

Ranji Trophy Winner 2023

Saurashtra won Ranji Trophy in 2023 by beating Bengal in the finals. From the last three seasons, Saurashtra has won the title for second time. Mumbai’s Ranji team qualified to the final for the 47th time due to a one-sided tie match. Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh competed in the first semi-final, and the Mumbai team appeared to be in a strong position. Mumbai secured a place in the Ranji Trophy final even with the match ending in a draw due to massive first innings lead. Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai will now play in the Ranji Trophy final after MP defeated Bengal by 174 runs in the second semi-final.

Mumbai’s form has led the strategist to label him favourite. The Aditya Srivastava-led MP Ranji team faced up against players like Prithvi Shaw, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sarfaraz Khan. Stay connected with the blog post to know who will be the Ranji Trophy winner 2023.

Format of Ranji Trophy in Different Seasons

In the first season, teams were divided into 4 zones, i.e. North, South, East and West, following the Knockout format. In the 1952-53 editions, a new zone was added, i.e. Central Zone. The same format was followed till 1956-57. Thereafter, the league bases format was adapted to determine the winner from each zone. The winners of the five zones competed in the knockout stage of the tournament.  .

This format continued until 1970-71 season when few more changes introduced to the set pattern of the tournament. The knockout stage now comprised of top two teams from each zone, which means ten teams played the knockout stage. The knockout stage of the tournament was again expanded in 1991-1992 to comprise of top three teams from each of the zones making it to the knockout stage. Thus, fifteen teams competed in the knockout stage.  

The format was again changed in the 2002-03 season, the zonal system was substituted with a two-division structure -Elite Group (15 teams) and the Plate Group (comprising of the rest of the teams), thereafter number of formats have been tested with minor or major changes.

In the 2012-13 edition, three groups (A, B&C), each with nine teams, were introduced. The top three teams from each group contested in the knockout phase.

The 2020-21 Ranji season was cancelled, for the first time in the history of the tournament, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 87th edition of the tournament is scheduled to be held in 2022.  Scroll down to have a look at the Ranji trophy winner team list.

List of Ranji Trophy Winners from 1934-2023

Mumbai Cricket Team was the first team to win the maiden title and has won maximum times, i.e. 41 times, followed by Karnataka/Mysore, which has lifted the trophy 8 times. Delhi and Baroda have been champions 7 and 5 times, respectively. Holkar has won the series 4 times. 

Saurashtra/Nawanagar/Western India won the tournament 3 times. Vidarbha, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, Maharashtra and Railways won twice. Uttar Pradesh/United Provinces, Punjab/Southern Punjab, Gujarat and Haryana Railways have won the finals 1 time. Teams that have not made it to the list of winners of the Ranji Trophy are Services, Bihar and Northern India.

Season	Tournament Format	Ranji Trophy Winning Team	Ranji Trophy Runners-up
2022-2023	Round-robin then knockout	Saurashtra	Bengal
2021-2022	Round-robin then knockout	Madhya Pradesh won by six wickets	Mumbai
2020-2021	Cancelled Due To Covid-19
2019-20	Round-robin then knockout	Saurashtra Won with a lead in the first innings	Bengal
2018-19	Round-robin then knockout	Vidarbha won by 78 runs	Saurashtra
2017-18	Round-robin then knockout	Vidarbha won by 9 wickets	Delhi
2016-17	Round-robin then knockout	Gujarat won by 5 wickets	Mumbai
2015-16	Round-robin then knockout	Mumbai won by an innings and 21 runs	Saurashtra
2014-15	Round-robin then knockout	Karnataka won by an innings and 217 runs	Tamil Nadu
2013-14	Round-robin then knockout	Karnataka won by 7 wickets	Maharashtra
2012-13	Round-robin then knockout	Mumbai win by an innings and 125 runs	Saurashtra
2011-12	Round-robin then knockout	Match drawn (Rajasthan won on 1st innings)	Tamil Nadu
2010-11	Round-robin then knockout	Match was drawn (Rajasthan wins on First Innings Lead)	Baroda
2009-10	Round-robin then knockout	Mumbai won by 6 runs	Karnataka
2008-09	League and knockout	Mumbai won by 243 runs	Uttar Pradesh
2007-08	League and knockout	Delhi Won by nine wickets	Uttar Pradesh
2006-07	League and knockout	Mumbai Won by 132 runs	Bengal
2005-06	League and knockout	Uttar Pradesh won on first-innings lead	Bengal
2004-05	League and knockout	Railways won on first-innings lead	Punjab
2003-04	League and knockout	Mumbai won on first-innings lead	Tamil Nadu
2002-03	League and knockout	Mumbai won by 141 runs	Tamil Nadu
2001-02	League and knockout	Railways won by 277 runs	Baroda
2000-01	League and knockout	Baroda won by 21 runs	Railways
1999-2000	League and knockout	Mumbai won by 297 runs	Hyderabad
1998-99	League and knockout	Karnataka won by 96 runs	Madhya Pradesh
1997-98	League and knockout	Karnataka Match drawn (Karnataka won on first-innings lead)	Uttar Pradesh
1996-97	League and knockout	Mumbai won on first-innings lead	Delhi
1995-96	League and knockout	Karnataka Match drawn (Karnataka won on first-innings lead)	Tamil Nadu
1994-95	League and knockout	Bombay won on first-innings lead	Punjab
1993-94	League and knockout	Bombay won by 8 wickets	Bengal
1992-93	League and knockout	Punjab won by 120 runs	Maharashtra
1991-92	League and knockout	Delhi Match drawn (Delhi won on first-innings lead)	Tamil Nadu
1990-91	League and knockout	Haryana won by two runs	Bombay
1989-90	League and knockout	Bengal won runs per wicket	Delhi
1988-89	League and knockout	Delhi won by an innings and 210 runs	Bengal
1987-88	League and knockout	Tamil Nadu won by an innings and 144 runs	Railways
1986-87	League and knockout	Hyderabad won on first-innings lead	Delhi
1985-86	League and knockout	Delhi won by an innings and 141 runs	Haryana
1984-85	League and knockout	Bombay won on by 90 runs	Delhi
1983-84	League and knockout	Bombay won on first-innings lead	Delhi
1982-83	League and knockout	Karnataka won on first-innings lead	Bombay
1981-82	League and knockout	Delhi won on first-innings lead	Karnataka
1980-81	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 46 runs	Delhi
1979-80	League and knockout	Delhi won by 240 runs	Bombay
1978-79	League and knockout	Delhi won by 399 runs	Karnataka
1977-78	League and knockout	Karnataka won by an innings and 193 runs	Uttar Pradesh
1976-77	League and knockout	Bombay won by 129 runs	Delhi
1975-76	League and knockout	Bombay won by 10 wickets	Bihar
1974-75	League and knockout	Bombay won by 7 wickets	Karnataka
1973-74	League and knockout	Karnataka won by 185 runs	Rajasthan
1972-73	League and knockout	Bombay won by 123 runs	Tamil Nadu
1971-72	League and knockout	Bombay won by 246 runs	Bengal
1970-71	League and knockout	Bombay won by 48 runs	Maharashtra
1969-70	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 59 runs	Rajasthan
1968-69	League and knockout	Bombay won on first-innings lead	Bengal
1967-68	League and knockout	Bombay won on first-innings lead	Madras
1966-67	League and knockout	Bombay won on first-innings lead	Rajasthan
1965-66	League and knockout	Bombay won by eight wickets	Rajasthan
1964-65	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 126 runs	Hyderabad
1963-64	League and knockout	Bombay won by 9 wickets	Rajasthan
1962-63	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 19 runs	Rajasthan
1961-62	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 287 runs	Rajasthan
1960-61	League and knockout	Bombay won 7 wickets	Rajasthan
1959-60	League and knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 22 runs	Mysore
1958-59	League and knockout	Bombay won by 420 runs	Bengal
1957-58	League and knockout	Baroda Baroda won by an innings and 51 runs	Services
1956-57	Knockout	Bombay won by an innings and 38 runs	Services
1955-56	Knockout	Bombay won by 8 wickets	Bengal
1954-55	Knockout	Madras won by 46 runs	Holkar
1953-54	Knockout	Bombay won by 8 wickets	Holkar
1952-53	Knockout	Holkar on first-innings lead	Bengal
1951-52	Knockout	Bombay won by 531 runs	Holkar
1950-51	Knockout	Holkar won by 189 runs	Gujarat
1949-50	Knockout	Baroda won by 4 wickets	Holkar
1948-49	Knockout	Bombay won by 468 runs	Baroda
1947-48	Knockout	Holkar Won by 9 wickets	Bombay
1946-47	Knockout	Baroda   won by an innings and 409 runs	Holkar 202 (83.2 overs) and 173 (67 overs)
1945-46	Knockout	Holkar                 won by 106 runs	Baroda
1944-45	Knockout	Bombay won by 374 runs	Holkar
1943-44	Knockout	Western India won by innings and 23 runs	Bengal
1942-43	Knockout	Baroda won by 307 runs	Hyderabad
1941-42	Knockout	Bombay   won by an innings and 281 runs	Mysore
1940-41	Knockout	Maharashtra   won by 6 wickets	Madras
1939-40	Knockout	Maharashtra won by 10 wickets	United Provinces
1938-39	Knockout	Bengal won by 178 runs	Southern Punjab
1937-38	Knockout	Hyderabad won by 1 wicket	Nawanagar
1936-37	Knockout	Nawanagar won by 256 runs	Bengal
1935-36	Knockout	Bombay won by 190 runs	Madras
1934-35	Knockout	Bombay won by 208 runs	Northern India

Best Players of Ranji Trophy from All the Seasons

Ranji Trophy Season	Number of Teams	Most Runs Scored By	Most Wickets Taken By
2022-2023	38	Mayank Agarwal (990)	Jalaj Saxena (50)
2021-2022	38	Sarfaraz Khan (982)	Shams Mulani (45)
2020-2021	Cancelled Due to Covid-19
2019-20	38	Rahul Dalal (1,340)	Jaydev Unadkat (67)
2018-19	37	Milind Kumar (1,331)	Ashutosh Aman (68)
2017-18	28	Mayank Agarwal (1,160)	Jalaj Saxena (44)
2016-17	28	Priyank Panchal (1310)	Shahbaz Nadeem (56)
2015-16	27	Shreyas Iyer (1321)	Shahbaz Nadeem (51)
2014-15	27
2013-14	27	Kedar Jadhav (Maharashtra) (1223)	Rishi Dhawan (Himachal Pradesh) (49)
2012-13	27	Jiwanjot Singh (Punjab) (995)	Ishwar Pandey (Madhya Pradesh) (48)
2011-12	27	Robin Best (Rajasthan) (1034)	TP Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh) (40)
2010-11	27	Subramaniam Badrinath (922)	Bhargav Bhatt (47)
2009-10	27	Manish Pandey (882)	Abhimanyu Mithun (47)
2008-09	27	Wasim Jaffer (Mumbai) (1260)	Dhawal Kulkarni (Mumbai) (42) Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra) (42)
2007-08	27	Robin Uthappa (Karnataka) (854)	Ranade Bose (Bengal) (57)
2006-07	27	Robin Uthappa (Karnataka) (854)	Ranade Bose (Bengal) (57)
2005-06	27	Ajay Jadeja (Rajasthan) (684)	Ramesh Powar (Mumbai) (42)
2004-05	27	Niraj Patel (Gujarat) (735)	Gagandeep Singh (Punjab) (39)
2003-04	27	Dheeraj Jadhav (Maharashtra) (1066)	Narendra Hirwani (Madhya Pradesh) (45)
2002-03	27	Gautam Gambhir (Delhi) (833)	Lakshmipathy Balaji (Tamil Nadu) and Sunil Joshi (47)
2001-02	27	Amit Pagnis (Railways) (800)	Utpal Chatterjee (Bengal) (39)
2000-01	27	Yere Goud (Railways) (901)	Dodda Ganesh (Karnataka) (37)
1999-2000	27	V. V. S. Laxman (Hyderabad) (1415)	Kanwaljit Singh (Hyderabad) (62)
1998-99	27	Vijay Bharadwaj (Karnataka) (1280)	Dodda Ganesh (Karnataka) (62)
1997-98	27	Vinod Kambli (Bombay) (880)	Paras Mhambrey (Bombay) (48)[
1996-97	27	Raman Lamba (Delhi) (1034)	Rajesh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh) (52)
1995-96	26	M. V. Sridhar (Hyderabad) (868)	Sunil Joshi (Karnataka) (52)
1994-95	27	Sachin Tendulkar (Bombay) (856)	Prasad Rao (Bihar) (36)
1993-94	27	M. V. Sridhar (Hyderabad) (757)	Pradeep Jain (Haryana) (46)[
1992-93	26	Santosh Jedhe (Maharashtra) (867)	Bharati Vij (Punjab) (49)
1991-92	27	Ajay Sharma (Delhi) (933)	Maninder Singh (Delhi) (58)
1990-91	27	Amarjit Kaypee (Haryana) (940)	Chetan Sharma (Haryana) (39)
1989-90	27	M. V. Sridhar (Hyderabad) (729)	Atul Wassan (Delhi) (39)[
1988-89	27	Workers Raman (Tamil Nadu) (1,018)	Manoj Prabhakar (Delhi) (39)
1987-88		Brijesh Patel (Karnataka) (596)	M. Venkataramana (Tamil Nadu) (35)
1986-87	27	Carlton Saldanha (Karnataka) (782)	Sunil Lahore (Madhya Pradesh) (32)
1985-86	27	Kirti Azad (Delhi) (834)	Sarkar Talwar (Haryana) (45)
1984-85	24	Ghulam Parkar (Bombay) (660)	Rajinder Goel (Haryana) (39)
1983-84	24	Surinder Khanna (Delhi) (685)	Rajinder Goel (Haryana) (48)
1982-83	24	Anshuman Gaekwad (Baroda) (731)	Raghuram Bhat (Karnataka) (42)
1981-82	24	Sunil Gavaskar (Bombay) (632)	Raghuram Bhat (Karnataka)
1980-81	24	Ghulam Parkar (Bombay) (732)	Madan Lal (Delhi) (33)
1979-80	24	Dilip Vengsarkar (Bombay) (763)	Rajinder Goel (Haryana) (44)
1978-79	24	Brijesh Patel (Karnataka) (850)	Rajinder Goel (Haryana) (41)
1977-78	24	Venkat Sunderam (Delhi) (608)	Rajinder Singh Hans (Uttar Pradesh) (52)
1976-77	24	Ashok Mankad (Bombay) (827)	Karsan Ghavri (Bombay) (40)
1975-76	24	Yajurvindra Singh (Maharashtra) (583)	Abdul Ismail (Bombay) (38)
1974-75	24	Ashok Mankad (Bombay) (575)[	Bishan Bedi (Delhi) (64)
1973-74	24	Hemant Kanitkar (Maharashtra) (629)	B. S. Chandrasekhar (Karnataka) (55)
1972-73	24	Chetan Chauhan (Maharashtra) (873)	S. Venkataraghavan (Tamil Nadu) (58)
1971-72	24	Chetan Chauhan (Maharashtra) (540)	Padmakar Shivalkar (Bombay) (41)
1970-71	24	Hemant Kanitkar (Maharashtra) (687	B. S. Chandrasekhar (Mysore) (46)
1969-70	23	Ashok Mankad (Bombay) (540)	Kailash Gattani (Rajasthan) (41)
1968-69	23	Vijay Bhosle (Bombay)(507)	E. A. S. Prasanna (Mysore) (39)
1967-68	22	K. R. Rajagopal (Madras) (729	S. Venkataraghavan (Madras) (46)[
1966-67	24	Hanumant Singh (Rajasthan) (869)	B. S. Chandrasekhar (Mysore) (35)
1965-66	24	Ajit Wadekar (Bombay) (695)	B. S. Chandrasekhar (Mysore) (37)
1964-65	24	M. L. Jaisimha (Hyderabad) (713)	M. Jairam (Hyderabad) (34)[
1963-64	24	Vijay Mehra (Delhi) (601)	Vijay Sondhi (Delhi) (32)
1962-63	21	Pankaj Roy (Bengal) (662)	Baloo Gupte (Bombay) (38)
1961-62	23	Harcharan Singh (Southern Punjab) (495)	P. Sitaram (Delhi) (40)
1960-61	24	R. G. Nadkarni (Bombay) (531)	Salim Durani (Rajasthan) (35)
1959-60	24	Rusi Surti (Rajasthan) (539)	B. Y. Alva (Mysore) (36)
1958-59	23	Pankaj Roy (Bengal) (605)	Ramakant Desai (Bombay) (50)
1957-58	22	Polly Umrigar (Bombay) (594)	Ghulam Ahmed (Hyderabad) and V.V. Kumar (Madras) (28)
1956-57	22	Ramnath Kenny (Bombay) (529)	Polly Umrigar (Bombay) (35)
1955-56	22	Polly Umrigar (Bombay) (595)	Premangsu Chatterjee (Bengal)
1954-55	20	A. G. Kripal Singh (Madras) (636)	M. K. Murugesh (Madras) (23)
1953-54	21	Madhav Mantri (Bombay) (522)	Chandu Sarwate (Holkar) (23)[
1952-53	20	Bhausaheb Nimbalkar (Holkar) (474)	Montu Banerjee (Bengal) (26)
1951-52	21	Hemu Adhikari (Services) (554)[	Dattu Phadkar (Bombay) (32)
1950-51	20	Chandu Sarwate (Holkar) (699)	Iqbal Karan (Services) (33)
1949-50	19	Vijay Hazare (Baroda)	Hiralal Gaekwad (Holkar) (29)
1948-49	15	Dattu Phadkar (Bombay) (570)	Ranga Sohoni (Baroda) (33)
1947-48	17	K. C. Ibrahim (Bombay) (606)	Hiralal Gaekwad (Holkar) (29)
1946-47	19	Gul Mohammad (Baroda) (596)	Vijay Hazare (Baroda) (38)
1945-46	21	Hemu Adhikari (Baroda) (555)	Amir Elahi (Baroda) (30)
1944-45	17	Rusi Modi (Bombay) (1008)	C. S. Nayudu (Holkar) (33)[
1943-44	19	Vijay Merchant (Bombay) (553)[1]	Vijay Merchant (Bombay) (553)
1942-43	13	Vijay Hazare (Baroda) (398)	C. S. Nayudu (Baroda) (40)
1941-42	18	K.C. Ibrahim (Bombay) (469)	B. K. Garudachar (Mysore)
1940-41	19	Ranga Sohoni (Maharashtra)	Chandu Sarwate (Maharashtra) (24)
1939-40	18	Vijay Hazare (Maharashtra) (619)	Vijay Hazare (Maharashtra) (20)
1938-39	19	Normal Jeoomal (Sind) (418)	Amir Elahi (Nawanagar) (28)[2]
1937-38	18	Amar Singh (Nawanagar) (370)	Amar Singh (Nawanagar) (24)
1936-37	17	Sorabji Colah (Nawanagar) (384)	Amar Singh (Nawanagar) (28)
1935-36	16	S. M. Kadri (Bombay) (515)	A.G. Ram Singh (Madras) (28)[
1934-35	15	Vijay Merchant (Bombay) (389)	A.G. Ram Singh (Madras) (22)

Current Teams to Contest Ranji Trophy

Currently there are 38 teams which are participating in the Ranji Trophy

1. Andhra
2. Arunachal Pradesh
3. Assam
4. Baroda
5. Bengal
6. Bihar
7. Chhattisgarh
8. Chandigarh
9. Delhi
10. Goa
11. Gujarat
12. Haryana
13. Himachal Pradesh
14. Hyderabad (Telangana)
15. Jammu and Kashmir
16. Jharkhand
17. Karnataka (Mysore)
18. Kerala
19. Madhya Pradesh (Central India/Gwalior/Holkar/Madhya Bharat)
20. Maharashtra
21. Manipur
22. Meghalaya
23. Mizoram
24. Mumbai (Bombay)
25. Nagaland
26. Odisha (Orissa)
27. Puducherry
28. Punjab
29. Railways
30. Rajasthan (Rajputana)
31. Saurashtra (Kathiawar/Nawanagar)
32. Sikkim
33. Services (Army)
34. Tamil Nadu (Madras)
35. Tripura
36. Uttar Pradesh (United Provinces)
37. Uttarakhand
38. Vidarbha

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Little known facts about the Ranji Trophy

1. The concept of the Ranji Trophy is believed to have started in the 1930s, and it was initially known as Cricket Championship in India.

2. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala presented the trophy to the winners of the first season.

3. The semi-final of the 1945-46 Ranji Trophy is one of the most remembered matches as the first and the only tied match. The match was played between Baroda and Southern Punjab. Baroda was declared the winner of the semi-final by a coin-flip. Interestingly, Baroda won the preceding zonal final match of the west zone against Bombay (as it was called back then) also through a flip of coin to enter the semi-final.

4. In 2018, 24-year-old Rajneesh Gurbani of Vidarbha created history by becoming the second bowler to bag a hat-trick in the final match of the Ranji Trophy. After the Ranji final, the name of the cricketer was added to record books with figures of 6/59.

5. In the initial years of the Ranji trophy, if the final match was a draw, then the tournament’s winner was based on both teams’ performance in the first innings.

6. Rajasthan has made it to the Ranji Trophy finals 8 times between 1960-61 and 1973-74 seasons and always ended up runners-up. However, the team bagged the Ranji trophy consecutively in 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

7. Mumbai (Bombay) have won the tournament the most times with 41 wins, including 15 back-to-back wins from 1958-59 to 1972-73.

Conclusion:

Named after one of the first Indian cricketer of international repute and king of Jamnagar, Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II aka Ranji, the Ranji Trophy is amongst the noted cricket championship. Ever since the tournament is inaugurated in 1934-35, there have been various changes in its format. The current format follows Round-robin then knockout format.

Unfortunately, the previous edition of the Ranji Trophy was cancelled due to a Pandemic, but we look forward to the winner of new season that has already commenced in 2022, wishing all the luck to 38 contesting teams. Stay connected to the blog post to know who will be the Ranji Trophy winner 2022-2023.

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