The 2016–17 Ranji Trophy was the 83rd season of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first-class cricket tournament in India. Unlike previous seasons, the 2016–17 tournament was played at neutral venues.[1][2][3] Captains and coaches were supportive of the change.[4]Chhattisgarh cricket team made their debut in the competition, becoming the 28th team to compete in this edition of the Ranji Trophy.[5][6]Mumbai were the defending champions.[7]Gujarat beat Mumbai in the final by 5 wickets to win their first title.[8]
In September 2016, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the dates, groups and fixtures for the competition.[9] The pink ball was used in the tournament, to help the BCCI make a decision on playing a day/night Test match.[10]
In October 2016 during the Group B fixture between Maharashtra and Delhi, Swapnil Gugale and Ankit Bawne playing for Maharashtra, set a record partnership total in the Ranji Trophy, with 594 runs. It was also the second-highest partnership in the history of first-class cricket.[11]
Two group stage fixtures, the Group A match between Gujarat and Bengal and the Group C match between Hyderabad and Tripura, were abandoned because of smog pollution.[12] Initially, the BCCI rescheduled the fixtures to take place after the conclusion of the group stages.[12] As a result of the rescheduled matches, the dates of the matches in the knockout phase of the competition were moved back to accommodate the rearranged fixtures.[12] Both the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) opposed the rescheduling of the fixtures.[13] The MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar said that it "gives unfair advantage to the participating teams with respect to their qualification the knockout phase".[13] Kasi Viswanathan, secretary of the TNCA, said that "the matches should not be rescheduled and that points should be shared".[13] The BCCI reviewed the decision to reschedule the matches.[14] In December 2016, they revoked the changes and awarded each team one point from the abandoned matches.[15]
In the semi-finals Gujarat beat Jharkhand by 123 runs to reach only their second final in the history of the Ranji Trophy, having previously played in the 1950–51 final.[21]Mumbai beat Tamil Nadu by 6 wickets to progress to their 46th final in the Ranji Trophy.[22]
Prithvi Shaw became the first player for Mumbai to score a century on debut in the Ranji Trophy since Amol Muzumdar did so in the 1993–94 tournament.[22]
