History of the Ranji Trophy
Throughout the 1920’s, hockey was India’s most popular sport and cricket was rarely ever talked about. This was due to the fact that the British were still occupying India at that time. Since cricket was a game that was only allowed to be played by ultra-rich Indians or the British, it wasn’t very popular (“Ranji Trophy”). During that time, the only matches played were between the British and the Indians. However, in 1934, the history of cricket changed considerably. The Board of Cricket Control in India decided to create a tournament that had teams based on regions. This tournament was named the “Ranji Trophy,” named after Ranjisinhji Vibhaji Jadeja, the most prominent Indian-born cricketer at that time. Instead of cricket being a sport only played by the “elites,” it was now open to everyone. This gave Indians an opportunity as well as a new sense of hope, as it was a tournament played only by Indians (“A History of Ranji Trophy”). Amid the 1940’s, around the time my grandfather was offered a spot, the Ranji Trophy was one of the highly-revered sports leagues in India. Many players from this league would even go on to make the Indian national cricket team. The Ranji Trophy was also a significant part of Indian History, as it represented the freedom Indians finally achieved after their long struggle under British rule.