Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Switching formats a hindrance, players urge BCCI for continuity

Quick turnaround time between matches and adapting to different conditions have been the challenges for teams in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The ask is even tougher for a few. Teams which featured in the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy got less than a week before switching formats. For others, the interval was not long either.

Chhattisgarh captain Amandeep Khare and Maharashtra’s Ankit Bawne believe that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) should go back to the old format of finishing one tournament at a time. Currently, the calendar gives a break between the two legs of the Ranji Trophy and has the white-ball tournaments in between.

“It breaks the momentum,” Khare told  Sportstar. “We prepare about a couple of months before the Ranji Trophy, so you don’t get much time to get used to white-ball cricket. Since there are different teams for white-ball and red-ball cricket, players take a bit of time to come together as a unit. It’s not an excuse, but it does get a bit difficult for the young cricketers, and it hampers things a bit.”

Placed in Group C, Chhattisgarh lost both its matches in the tournament, and it will be up against Mumbai on Monday at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground. While Khare has 152 runs in two innings, the team has failed to live up to the expectations, and captain Khare believes that going back to the old format will help. “It gives players enough time, as they play one tournament at a time, and that reflects on the performances,” he said.

Bawne agreed. “It’s best to finish one tournament, and then start another,” he said. “Imagine, if a player found his rhythm in the last two matches, and then again, there will be a gap, so he will suffer again…It’s mentally challenging.”

“In October and November, conditions are different, and again when you resume Ranji in February, things are entirely different. It certainly hurts the team’s chances,” Bawne, one of the stalwarts of Maharashtra cricket, said.

While it is placed at the second spot, along with Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, Maharashtra has so far won one of the two games. And, Bawne, who has scored 8,327 runs in First-class cricket, believes that breaking the momentum isn’t ideal for players. “Have you ever heard that the World Cup has been stopped mid-way and teams are asked to play in a bilateral series? No, right! For the domestic cricketers, the Ranji Trophy is like a World Cup, and that should be given its due respect,” Bawne said.

“For years, Ranji Trophy was played at one go, and suddenly, some players complain about workload, and we alter the season altogether. That’s a tad unfair on the players,” he said, adding that going forward, the BCCI should address the issue and ensure that all teams get an even playing field.

The first phase of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 concluded on November 20, and the second phase will resume on January 22. The Vijay Hazare group stage will conclude on January 8, while the knockouts will be held between January 12 to 18.

Published on Dec 28, 2025