Bengal will start their Ranji Trophy campaign with an away encounter against Andhra in Visakhapatnam, beginning January 5 next year, which is also the date the competition gets underway.
Bengal will then be travelling to Lucknow for the clash against Uttar Pradesh that starts on January 12. Next, the runners-up of last season will return for their first Ranji home game, from January 19, when they host Chhattisgarh, Eden Gardens being the likely venue.
The marquee game of the group (Group D) is from February 2 when Bengal host 41-time champions Mumbai, after returning from Guwahati where they face Assam from January 26.
Bengal’s final home match of the group phase is against Bihar from February 16 after travelling to Kerala for the February 9-12 game.
But who will captain Bengal in Ranji this time? Senior player Manoj Tiwary, who led the side in the previous edition, is yet to confirm whether he will continue playing this season.
Besides, the 37-year-old Bengal minister of state for youth services and sports also hasn’t been a regular in the team’s white-ball scheme of things since last season.
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is expected to have a formal discussion regarding the matter with the team coaching staff once the ongoing P. Sen Trophy gets over. It then remains to be seen if Tiwary continues at the helm or if Abhimanyu Easwaran returns as the captain.
However, in the season-opening Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, a “new-look” Bengal team is on the cards under a new captain: preferably someone like Sudip Gharami or even all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed.
Beginning their campaign in the national T20s against Maharashtra on October 16, Bengal will be playing all their group-phase games of the competition in Mohali.
If the team fares well under the new skipper, he could also be appointed captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy (national one-dayers) where Bengal begin their campaign against Nagaland on November 23. All their group-phase games will be held in Thiruvananthapuram.
“The focus now is primarily on the white-ball games than on Ranji. But make no mistake, some tough calls will be taken this year,” a team source said.
