Bengaluru – The possibility of Rishabh Pant's return to action, an array of new stars on the horizon and a clutch of veterans' battle for relevance will provide much-needed context to the 91st edition of the Ranji Trophy, beginning across the country on Wednesday.

Pant's possible appearance in the second round is the highlight of Ranji Trophy's first phase, which otherwise lacks any immediate purpose in the larger scheme of things because of India's long Test winter after the home series against South Africa next month.

Pant is out of action since a Chris Woakes delivery fractured his toe at Manchester in July, and his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence is on the right track.

The wicketkeeper batter's name is missing from Delhi's jumbo squad of 24 players for the opening round match against Hyderabad.

But if the CoE green lights his return then the left-hander can either play the second round (vs Himachal Pradesh from October 25) or the third round (vs Puducherry from November 1).

It can give Pant the vital game time ahead of the series against world champions South Africa, beginning on November 14.

However, other than Pant, not many players would be nourishing any genuine hopes of entering the Indian team riding on their performance in the Ranji Trophy because the international calendar is packed with white-ball matches.

It is also highly unlikely that India will tinker with their chosen 15, which did the duty against the just-concluded series against the West Indies, considering the significance of a series against South Africa and the World Test Championship (WTC) points on offer.

As per the current Future Tours Programme, India's next Test series after November is scheduled in the second half of 2026.

So, what precisely is on offer for players in this Ranji Trophy?

There is the pride of adding the premier red-ball trophy in the country into the cabinets as Mumbai will once again be hoping as the frontrunners to bag a 43rd title.

Defending champions Vidarbha will not like to give away the silverware easily, and teams like Kerala, last year's runners up, Saurashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka will be eager to regain the glory or write a new chapter.

MENAFN14102025000215011059ID1110192592