The 2024-25 edition of India’s premier domestic red-ball tournament, the Ranji Trophy, is all set to enter its last round of group stages starting Thursday, January 30, with seven out of eight quarterfinal spots still wide open. So far, only the Group B leaders, Vidarbha, have confirmed their place in the last eight of the competition. Many teams had hoped that the addition of India’s regular Test-playing players would change their fortunes, but Jadeja and Shubman Gill failed to deliver, leaving the race for the quarterfinals in a red-hot state. With each team left to play one more game, who are the possible contenders for the remaining seven spots in the next stage, and what do they need to do to ensure their qualification? Let's take a look.
Group A qualification scenario
The race for the quarterfinals in Group A is tight, with J&K (29 points), Baroda (24 points), and Mumbai (22 points) all in contention. J&K faces Baroda in the final round, and even a single point will guarantee their advancement. Baroda, on the other hand, needs a win to advance, as a draw might not suffice depending on Mumbai's result. Mumbai must win against Meghalaya and, if Baroda beats J&K, they need a bonus-point victory and a superior quotient to surpass J&K.
Group A points table:
Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | NR | Pts |
Jammu and Kashmir | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
Baroda | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
Mumbai | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
Services | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Odisha | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
Tripura | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
Maharashtra | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Meghalaya | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group B qualification scenario
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Vidarbha has already secured a spot in the knockouts following their comeback win against Rajasthan. The remaining spot will be claimed by either Gujarat (26 points) or Himachal Pradesh (21 points), with both teams set to face each other. The winner of this match will advance to the quarterfinals.
Group B points table:
Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | NR | Pts |
Vidarbha (Q) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
Gujarat | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
Himachal Pradesh | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Rajasthan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Hyderabad | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Uttarakhand | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Andhra | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Puducherry | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Group C qualification scenario
Haryana leads Group C with 26 points and requires just one point to secure qualification. If they lose to Karnataka, they will rely on Kerala not taking more than three points from their match against Bihar. Kerala needs at least a draw with a first-innings lead to progress, as long as Karnataka does not win. Karnataka must win and hope Kerala does not win to stay in contention for the next phase.
Group C points table:
Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | NR | Pts |
Haryana | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
Kerala | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Karnataka | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
Bengal | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
Uttar Pradesh | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Punjab | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Madhya Pradesh | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Bihar | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Group D qualification scenario
Tamil Nadu tops Group D with 25 points and just needs a win or draw to qualify. Chandigarh (19 points), Saurashtra (18 points), and Railways (17 points) are still fighting for the second spot. If Chandigarh wins with a bonus point against Chhattisgarh, Saurashtra and Railways will be eliminated. If Chandigarh secures six points and Saurashtra beats Assam with a bonus point, qualification will depend on their quotient. Railways must beat Delhi and rely on other results to qualify. Jharkhand and Delhi are still in the hunt, but both must rely on all other teams losing to progress.
Group D points table:
Team | Mat | Won | Lost | Draw | Tied | NR | Pts |
Tamil Nadu | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
Chandigarh | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
Saurashtra | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
Railways | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
Jharkhand | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Delhi | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Chhattisgarh | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
Assam | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 |