RANJI TROPHY

Teams 27, in five groups: the North and South Zones have six teams each, while the East, West and Central Zones have five.

Current system There is a round-robin league within each zone. The top three teams from each zone proceed to a knockout stage. One of the 15 teams – either the defending champions, or the team with the most points if the defending champions have been eliminated – is given a bye to the quarter-finals. The other 14 play off to complete the knockout draw. The group games last four days, the knockout ones five.

Proposed system A two-tier system, with the second pool further broken down into two divisions. Let's refer to them as Pools A, B and C. Pool A has 10 teams – the top two sides from each of the five zones based on the results of the zonal round-robin in the 2001-02 Ranji season. The remaining 17 teams are distributed into Pools B and C, with nine teams in B. The Pool A teams play for the Ranji Trophy, but there won't be a final. They all play each other once, and the team with the most points is the winner. Pools B and C are also round-robin leagues, and the teams with the most points from each group play for the Ranji Plate. Three teams will be promoted and relegated. The two group winners move up to Pool A, as do the winners of a playoff between the runners-up of Pools B and C. 

DULEEP TROPHY

Teams Five Zones: North, South, East, West and Central.

Current system Single round-robin league. All four-day matches.

Proposed system A knockout. Three teams are joined in the semi-final by the winner of a quarter-final between the remaining two teams. All matches to be five days, played at international venues and on uncovered pitches that have been prepared by the Board's pitches committee.

Points system: current Eight points for a win. In a drawn match: five points for a first-innings lead, three to the other team.

Points system: proposed Two points for an outright win, one for first-innings lead in a drawn match.

Rahul Bhattacharya is a staff writer with Wisden.com India.

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