Former India cricketer and selector Dilip Vengsarkar has put the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) under the spotlight, questioning the rationale behind scheduling an India A series while the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 campaign has already begun. A 15-member India A team is set to tour New Zealand around the same time the senior national team will be in the country for an all-format assignment.
However, with the Ranji Trophy campaign underway, Vengsarkar said that he has failed to understand the need for an ‘A’ team tour.
Indian cricket great Dilip Vengsarkar has lashed out at the BCCI for organising an A-team tour of New Zealand at the same time when the Ranji Trophy 2026-27 campaign was going on.
“Why do you have an India A tour when the Ranji Trophy season is in progress? What’s the point of holding the Ranji Trophy then? “It’s beyond me why these A tours are being organised during the domestic season. India’s red-ball team has long been criticised for underwhelming performances. Veterans like Sunil Gavaskar have repeatedly urged even national team players to feature more in the Ranji Trophy. Yet, having promising next-generation players and those fighting for a regular spot in the national team being sent on A tours rather than playing in the Ranji Trophy is a decision that has baffled many. “There’s no point sending players who are not even going to play in the Test series.
Because you are diluting the importance of your premier domestic tournament, “This idea of having a shadow tour when your own domestic season is on is plain ridiculous. With the year 2027 set to bring the ODI World Cup, it is also important to prepare a pool of players with the experience of limited-overs cricket in tough conditions.
Vengsarkar did not mince his words as he branded the decision “plain ridiculous”, saying it dilutes the importance of a premier domestic tournament. Vengsarkar told the Times of India . “If your best domestic players are playing for India A during the Ranji Trophy, then the performances of those who score runs and take wickets in the Ranji Trophy get devalued,” said Vengsarkar, a former India chief selector. “If you want your players to acclimatise early to the conditions and local environment, then send your main team early,” Vengsarkar, a 116-Test veteran, further said.
