The annual Irani Trophy fixture may herald the domestic cricket season in India every year but there is little doubt that it is the start of the Ranji Trophy a little later which gives the season its momentum. Over the years, the Ranji Trophy might have lost some of the importance first to the Duleep Trophy and then to the Irani Trophy and finally to the number of one day tournaments conducted every year - the Deodhar Trophy, the Wills Trophy, the Challenger series. But even after 66 years, the Ranji Trophy retains its aura of the premier national competition. It is the one prize that every Indian cricketer wants to lay his hands on. One recalls the uproarious scenes of joy when Haryana won the trophy for the first time in 1990-91, or when Bengal won it back after 51 years in 1989-90 or when Tamil Nadu regained the prize after 33 years in 1987-88. Or for that matter when Bombay won the Ranji Trophy for the 34th time last season. So prestigious is the competition that someone like S Venkatraghavan, who had a distinguished international career spanning more than 18 years, admitted on his retirement that his biggest regret was not any of the disappointments he must have experienced during his Test career but the fact that he could not win the Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu.

The chief reason why the importance of the Ranji Trophy has been diluted over the years has been the increase in international engagements. Because of this, many of the leading players do not take part in the Ranji Trophy. Of course there have been instances of the top stars giving the premier national competition a miss for reasons not entirely convincing. Last season for example Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble skipped the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Hyderabad, preferring to play in county cricket. The Ranji Trophy matches can still draw an encouraging spectator response provided the big names take part. This was proved in the semifinals and final last season. In both games - against Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad - Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli played for Mumbai and crowds of more than 20,000 were not uncommon.

It is to be hoped that the stars will make it a point to represent their respective sides this season too. Besides lending a glamorous touch to the competition, their presence will also substantially elevate the standards. Younger batsmen and bowlers besides being inspired by playing alongside leading stars, will also know exactly where they stand vis a vis the international level.

The 2000-2001 season commences on Monday with three matches in the North Zone and two in the Central Zone. Last season was marked by a number of outstanding performances. Some of these were instrumental in opening up international avenues for the cricketers concerned. It is to be hoped the standard of the game will be high. There are bound to be some lop sided games in a tournament involving 28 teams playing in a round robin format in five zones. But it is a good thing that the rather long drawn out super league has been abolished and the 15 entrants into the knock out should provide many a pulsating contest. If some of the matches provide the kind of thrills that the Mumbai-Tamil Nadu semifinal provided last year, the domestic cricket fan in the country will be content.

© CricInfo