| 2020–21 Ranji Trophy | |
| Administrator: | BCCI |
| Cricket Format: | First-class cricket |
| Tournament Format: | Round-robin then knockout |
| Host: |  India |
| Previous Year: | 2019–20 |
| Previous Tournament: | 2019–20 Ranji Trophy |
| Next Year: | 2021–22 |
| Next Tournament: | 2021–22 Ranji Trophy |
The 2020–21 Ranji Trophy was scheduled to be the 87th season of the Ranji Trophy, the premier first-class cricket tournament in India.[1] Saurashtra were the defending champions.[2] However, in January 2021, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the season had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] It was the first time since the tournament's inception in the 1934–35 season that the Ranji Trophy was not held.[4]
Before the COVID-19 pandemic started, a change to the format of the tournament was submitted to the BCCI, splitting the elite teams into five groups, instead of three, therefore reducing the number of matches.[5] However, in June 2020, the BCCI denied that any changes to the tournament's structure would be taking place.[6] Also in June, Rahul Dravid, the head of cricket at the National Cricket Academy, suggested that the Indian domestic season could start later or be shortened due to the pandemic.[7] On 19 July 2020, the Times of India reported that the Ranji Trophy would be the only senior domestic cricket tournament to be played in the Indian 2020–21 cricket season,[8] with teams split into five zones, North, West, South, East and Central.[9] In August 2020, the BCCI confirmed that hosting the Ranji Trophy was "a priority".[10] The following month, the BCCI warned that the domestic cricket season could be severely curtailed due to the pandemic, including the possibility of no cricket taking place.[11]
In December 2020, the BCCI confirmed the dates of the 2020–21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,[12] with a decision on the Ranji Trophy due after the completion of the group stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.[13] Originally, the tournament was scheduled to start on 1 January 2021.[14] However, the start was delayed, with the BCCI looking to begin a reduced competition from February 2021.[15] On 30 January, the BCCI cancelled the 2020–21 Ranji Trophy season,[16] but gave the go-ahead for the 2020–21 Vijay Hazare Trophy to take place.[17] An estimated 800 cricketers were impacted by the cancellation of the tournament, with each player due to be paid R140,000 per match.[18]