NEW DELHI: The return of Rishabh Pant, the rise of new talents, and a few veterans fighting to stay relevant will add intrigue to the 91st edition of the Ranji Trophy, which begins across the country on Wednesday.

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Pant’s potential comeback in the second round is the biggest talking point of the Ranji Trophy’s opening phase, which otherwise lacks major context given India’s long Test break following the home series against South Africa next month.

The wicketkeeper-batter has been out of action since fracturing his toe from a Chris Woakes delivery in Manchester in July, but his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) is progressing well.

Pant’s name is missing from Delhi’s 24-member squad for their opening-round match against Hyderabad, but if cleared by the CoE, the left-hander could return in the second round against Himachal Pradesh (from October 25) or the third round versus Puducherry (from November 1).

A comeback during the Ranji Trophy would offer him valuable match practice ahead of the Test series against world champions South Africa, beginning November 14.

Beyond Pant, few players can realistically hope to break into the Indian team through this season’s Ranji Trophy, as the international calendar remains packed with white-ball fixtures.

Given the importance of the upcoming South Africa Tests and the World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake, India are unlikely to alter the squad that featured in the just-concluded series against the West Indies.

According to the Future Tours Programme (FTP), India’s next Test series after November is scheduled only in the latter half of 2026.

Pride and opportunity

With no immediate Test opportunities available, the focus shifts to the pride of clinching India’s premier red-ball title. Mumbai, record 42-time champions, will once again start as favourites to claim their 43rd crown.

Defending champions Vidarbha will look to retain the trophy, while teams such as Kerala (last year’s runners-up), Saurashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka aim to script new chapters or revive their past glories.

Emerging names

A promising generation of youngsters will be key to their teams’ chances.

In the batting department, names like R Smaran (Karnataka), Andre Siddarth (Tamil Nadu), Yash Dhull (Delhi), Priyansh Arya (Delhi), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Bihar), Ayush Mhatre (Mumbai), and Danish Malewar (Vidarbha) are ones to watch.

The bowling lineup features exciting prospects such as Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha), Edhen Apple Tom (Kerala), Manav Suthar (Rajasthan), and Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu).

Having shown early promise, these players will look to build consistency and push their case for higher honours.

Veterans on a mission

Some familiar names who once dominated domestic headlines now find themselves on the fringes. Ishan Kishan, Prithvi Shaw, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Rajat Patidar all have points to prove this season.

They will draw inspiration from the likes of Karun Nair, who has rejoined Karnataka after a stint with Vidarbha, and Narayan Jagadeesan, Tamil Nadu’s dependable run machine. Nair’s strong performances with Vidarbha earned him a Test recall after eight years, while Jagadeesan was flown to England as an injury replacement for Pant in July.

Their stories show that a strong domestic season can still open doors at unexpected times.

Last hurrah for veterans

Mohammed Shami, once a spearhead of India’s pace attack, will look to revive his red-ball career after being sidelined since the 2023 WTC final against Australia at The Oval. His last international appearance came in the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand in Dubai earlier this year.

Hanuma Vihari, too, will seek redemption. The Tripura batter, once a hero in Australia, has faded from the selectors’ radar and must deliver something exceptional to stage a comeback.

At 37, Ajinkya Rahane’s international career appears near its end, but the veteran will look to sign off on a high — perhaps by guiding Mumbai to yet another Ranji Trophy title.

The format

The Elite Group features 32 teams divided into Groups A, B, C, and D, while six sides will compete in the Plate Group.

As in previous years, the two white-ball tournaments — the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy — will be played between the two Ranji phases.

The first phase of the Ranji Trophy runs from October 15–18 to November 16–19, after which teams will break for the limited-overs tournaments.

The second phase resumes on January 22, 2026, culminating with the Ranji Trophy final starting February 24, 2026.
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(PTI Inputs)