Ranji Trophy was founded as the 'Cricket Championship of India' at a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in July 1934. The first Ranji Trophy fixtures took place in the 1934-35 season.

Mumbai are the most successful state in Ranji's history, winning 42 titles, including 15 consecutive trophies between 1958 and 1973. Here is the Ranji Trophy winners list since the inaugural season.

Mumbai - The most successful team in the Ranji Trophy

Mumbai are the most successful first-class team in Indian domestic cricket across different competitions. They have won the Ranji Trophy title a total of 42 times and also won the inaugural season of this prestigious tournament.

Read Also | Most Wickets in a Ranji Trophy Season

Mumbai won seven out of the first 20 seasons and then between the 1950s and 1970s, they won 20 out of 22 titles in the Ranji Trophy. Mumbai's latest title came in the 2023-24 season.

After Mumbai, Karnataka have won the most Ranji Trophies (8) followed by Delhi (7), Baroda (5), and Madhya Pradesh (5). Karnataka have been part of the tournament since the inaugural season. They had to wait until the 1973-74 edition to lift their maiden title. Their latest win came in the 2014-15 edition.

Also Read: Most Successful Teams in the Ranji Trophy History

Delhi won their maiden Ranji title in 1978-79 and their most recent win came in the 2007-08 edition while Baroda made their first-class debut in 1937 and won their maiden title in 1942-43.

Madhya Pradesh have also won five titles after their debut in the 1941 season. They won their first Ranji title in 1945-46, defeating Baroda in the finals.

Also Read: Last 10 winners of the Ranji Trophy

Ranji Trophy winners since 1934-35 season

Technology is quickly changing how players train in football and cricket, transforming conventional practices for these games and it is redefining human performance.

The role of technology in these two popular sports is visible, from relying on sensors which monitor all activity; to virtual reality simulations that aid decision-making, 

In recent years, technology has become smaller, more robust, and versatile, and thus new opportunities, especially in sports, have emerged. At the moment, updates are provided through smartphones, wearable functionality is used to avoid injury, GPS is used to track movement, and players are outfitted with sensors that send real-time information to a coach's device.

This article addresses the state-of-the-art equipment and approaches that are changing the paradigm of training, player development, and the game itself.

How Technology is Changing Cricket and Football Training

1. Wearable Technology

Trainers can invoke sensors wired to the body or some portion of "smart clothing" for measurement and monitoring in real-time. The real-time displays can be used to help the trainer determine what every sportsperson should push more. During training practice, trainers can use real-time measures to inform when to stretch, rest, or make training more challenging.

Laser and GPS are both being used more and more in different aspects of sports preparation. Instead of looking only at times and splits, coaches can measure athletes' exact position, distance, velocity, and acceleration, to better analyze their areas of improvement.

2. Video Analysis Tools

Modern-day football is becoming faster and more tactical. Athletes have to acquire both their athleticism and tactical awareness to enhance their decision-making process in the course of play. Video analysis is used for both individual and team tactical development.

In football, video analysis usually consists of a careful analysis and examination of game matches, practice, and player activity, to assess player performance, tactics, and strategies. Advanced technologies such as wearable tracking units and video analysis techniques are used in the process of achieving these things to capture and analyze critical elements of data, e.g., player location, combinations of teams, and player movements.

Video analysis can be used by coaches, analysts, and players to obtain a more complete picture of what goes on around the ball by giving a graphical representation of the game happening around them.

Video analysis can help a group of individuals to recognize the points of improvement, e.g., to enhance the winning approach and cope with different match situations effectively as the tool between the raw performance data and useful insights.

3. Virtual Reality (VR) Training

Virtual Reality (VR) applications have been of considerable interest in many high-performance and entertainment applications over the past few years with advances in technology, increased availability, and the mobility of VR systems.

More precisely, by embedding environmental constraints within an interactive virtual space, VR can also be used to train in motor, mental, and cognitive skills, strategy, and tactics.

VR offers promising novel solutions to many professional high-pressure, high-skill environments, especially for the training, and learning of difficult skills in otherwise expensive and/or hazardous settings. When properly used, VR provides complete control over the training environment, including cues and challenges, along with safe and reproducible training tasks. 

Because of this, it is designated as a promising instrument, which could help increase athletes' performance.

4. Biomechanical Analysis

The scientific study of biomechanics focuses on the physics and mechanics of how organisms move. In its general sense, it may include anything from knowing how a dancer entirely moves the whole body to the microscopic muscle cell-level response and observing the posture of an active horse.

Biomechanics is a narrower area in sports, which can offer helpful input to sportsmen, trainers, and sports medicine professionals who can help to enhance performance and decrease the chance of injury.

All of these biomechanical tests, including poor kinematics, rotational forces in specific joints, muscle imbalances, fatigue monitoring, and the quality of the movement being rehabilitated, may be detected.

5. Data Analytics

Data analytics has optimized athletes' performance by identifying previously unknown factors and related events. Those actions include, for example, leg motion, dive angle, rotational speed, and fluid motion.

Trainers can help players to successfully use this type of sophisticated movement tracking. If it is on the order of milliseconds, it can be the deciding factor for a race win or loss.

6. Recovery Technology

A significant reduction in injury levels and faster detection times demonstrates how technology greatly benefits sports training. Performance monitoring, movement processing, and improving communication are not only advantages but also contribute to making less susceptible environments.

Trainers and coaches can use training management software to monitor the specific training-based elements related to, for example, energy, nutrition, and sleep, that constitute the training process. Individualization of practices by trainers or coaches to optimize results helps prevent fatigue and self-inflicted injuries.

Besides the unavoidable external factors, injury-free sports may eventually be realized as a future scenario.

7. Communication and Collaboration Tools

Training communication has been enhanced by tools such as YouTube. YouTube contains millions of minutes of exercise and entertainment that are available to, and easily shared by anyone.

Physicists, especially in the area of sport and motor control, need to put much more emphasis on teaching sport and motor control with play debates or footage from films for their continuing education.1 Athletes and coaches can load and view the required films during sports practice or leisure time.

Other communication technologies have further been developed, namely My Fitness Pal, computer or mobile-phone journals on food and exercise, and personal digital health. My Fitness Pal enables trainers to monitor athletes' everyday diets, and players would be responsible for their training.

Artificial Intelligence has been improving the sports we watch and analyze for nearly the past 20 years, but the latest generation of ultra-modern AI tools is revolutionizing every aspect of sports, from improving player and team performances to ensuring safety along with fan engagement and the experiences.

AI can process and store large amounts of data, which allows us to gain insights that we couldn't see before. This capability is at the center of the revolution. For the players, this brings improved strategies, varied training methods, and a significantly lower risk of injury.

The fans enjoy a whole new level of engagement in the game, thanks to Al-powered platforms providing content tailored to them, such as virtual reality experiences and more.

The massive impact of AI in the Sports Industry

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the Sports Industry rapidly by offering solutions to common problems such as individual performance, tactical requirements, injuries and recoveries, variations in training, etc.

The capacity of AI and GenAI tools to analyze complex data and provide instant insights is ushering in a new era of athletic performance and fan engagement as well.

From predictive analytics that improve player safety and performance to AI-powered viewing experiences for fans, the influence of artificial intelligence is setting the bar higher across the industry.

1. Player and team performance

GenAI can analyze team and player behavior to reach conclusions that would contribute to improved training and coaching. For example, they can monitor and analyze the movements of players with computer vision.

In this way, they can assess whether an athlete is moving wrongly or could be injured. Machine learning algorithms can watch game videos to identify patterns of the opposing team. Sports coaches can be made to develop wiser game plans and strategies by artificial intelligence.

Some techniques, including motion tracking and motion analysis, can capture changes in the posture, movement, or technique of a player that indicte fatigue or poor motor control.

According to a study by Grand View Research, the sports analytics market size was valued at $1.9 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $5.2 billion by 2028, showcasing the rapid growth and demand for advanced analytics tools in sports.

The following two tools are widely applicable to player and team analysis:

• SportVU: This system tracks detailed player and ball motion in a game with computer vision and machine learning. It can analyze shot mechanics, accelerations and decelerations, speed, and distance.
• KINEXON: This system tracks positional and motion data in real-time by equipping players with sensors.

2. Injury Prediction and Prevention

Injuries occur regularly in professional sports. Identifying and preventing injuries before they even occur is likely one of the most thrilling applications of AI.

Teams can utilize AI algorithms to monitor an individual's motion as they move their joints and strain their muscles. It can search for patterns or instabilities that signify an injury before the symptoms themselves appear.

AI can recognize a slight deviation in the amount of strain a soccer player puts on their knee joint and warn the coaches or medical staff. Way before the injury became acute enough to cause the player to miss games, the team could either give them rest or do exercises to help them recover.

A report by MarketsandMarkets estimates that the global sports medicine market, which incorporates AI-driven health monitoring solutions, is projected to reach $9.3 billion by 2026, underlining the significant role of AI in athlete well-being.

The following two tools could be used in the AI-powered prediction and prevention of injuries:

• Sparta Science: It uses computer vision and motion sensing in analyzing movement patterns of an athlete. Based on motion data, biomechanical deficiencies, and especially risks of increased injury, machine learning models are able to identify those. 
• Zone 7: It measures injury risk using factors such as workload, degree of fatigue, and others through artificial intelligence and research in sports science. Their methods take age, position, body composition, and medical history into account. 

3. Training Through AI-Powered Analytics and Wearables

Smartwatches and fitness trackers are examples of wearable technology that have become essential for tracking many of the parameters mentioned earlier.

Wearable GPS devices that can track athletes' speed and location, overall distance traveled, and movement patterns are available to provide relevant information.

Wearable heart rate monitors use optical sensors to measure blood flow in real-time, tracking the heart rate. This is an important aspect of monitoring heart health, fitness levels, and recovery. It also helps in tracking blood oxygen levels, which is another important component of modern-day fitness trackers. They use optical sensors to track the oxygen saturation level of blood.

Since the 2010s, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), such as GPS tracking vests, have been commonly used in professional sports. Such vests are offered with discrete and effective GPS tracking and sensors located on the back and shoulders; they are typically worn as tank tops.

In football and rugby, the vest is mainly utilized to track the location and movement of a player and, thereby, report strengths and weaknesses.

4. Sports Commentary and Reporting

Sports commentary and reporting can automatically be generated from match events and live data by employing natural language processing (NLP) methods like GPT-3. Artificially intelligent commentary not only comments on a strategy but also summarizes the critical events of match play. 

Similarly, GenAI can create such highlights, summaries, and post-match data reportage for viewing audiences as well.

NLP methods can make the commentary more dramatic and interesting by taking into account the game statistics and situations in real-time data. With the use of generated personalities and tones, it is possible to accommodate various fan interests in the coverage.

Automated GenAI reporting enhances sports coverage and commentary without losing interesting and captivating stories.

5. Sports Officiating

The use of AI in sports officiating is not without controversy, including traditional backlash and concerns regarding technology's influence on the game. Yet, the improvements it introduces, such as real-time analysis and decision support, are dramatically enhancing the accuracy and fairness of officiating.

Its capabilities to review plays from multiple angles and analyze them in seconds are proving invaluable in high-level games where every call matters.

Despite initial doubts, the use of AI in officiating is increasingly being accepted, with many seeing its potential to eliminate human error and ensure a level playing field.

As the technology improves and its uses extend, its role in assisting fair play and accuracy in sports is poised to increase, ushering in a new era in the use of technology and sportsmanship.

6. Player Scouting

Team owners are using artificial intelligence to review the performance of the players. To determine the most skilled people to invest in, they use data analysis using artificial intelligence. It takes millions of dollars to find talent in the sports world.

So, team owners would like to ensure that scouting one player is the best decision. Artificial intelligence is used widely in scouting players for any sport, be it cricket, football, or basketball.

AI-powered Change in Fan Engagement and Experiences

1. Personalized Fan Engagement

To provide customised fan experiences, GenAI algorithms can model the preferences and behaviours of audiences. Sports teams and broadcasters can use these insights to optimize engagement across media channels.

For example, social media platforms can deliver tailored video highlights, personalized promotions, and AI-recommended content to resonate with each fan.

The NBA revealed 'NB-AI', allowing fans to activate "movie mode" and watch live games animated like popular films, such as Spider-Man

pic.twitter.com/zb2IYT2YBX

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) February 16, 2024

Based on their past interactions and activities, the Generative AI identifies what content types, sports stats, and topics each fan finds most appealing. It creates and sends personalized content for each person. This level of customization, enabled by GenAI in sports, helps sports organizations connect more deeply with their audiences.

2. Viewing Experiences

GenAI can process live video to generate augmented reality (AR) overlays and graphics that enhance broadcasts or live streams.

For example, shot trajectories, real-time player stats, and situational analysis can be visualized and overlaid onto the gameplay footage. For virtual reality (VR), GenAI can create real-world simulated environments for an immersive in-game perspective.

The key innovation is using Generative AI to dynamically generate and adapt AR/VR overlays and environments on the fly, customized to each moment. As the narrative and action of the game shift, the GenAI-powered augmented experiences shift with them, elevating viewing to multidimensional engagement. 

A survey conducted by PwC found that 65% of sports fans are interested in using AR or virtual reality (VR) devices to watch sports, indicating a growing appetite for immersive experiences enabled by AI-driven technologies.

Conclusion

AI collaboration with sports is making the place safer as well as fairer. Predictive modeling and algorithms in AI are becoming a must for injury prevention. AI guarantees that more accuracy and fairness can be introduced in the outcome of a game by enhancing officiating. Both the aspects of performance and integrity are vital components in ensuring the prosperity and popularity of sports continue.

The impact of AI reaches sports journalism, advertising, and the creation of next-gen sports equipment, beyond the field or court. These innovations create new revenue streams and provide more exciting ways for fans to engage with their beloved sports and teams.

In this sense, artificial intelligence in the sports field could be said to be, by itself, a change not only for the athletes or for the coaches but for the sports system in general. With AI, the sports of the future could easily be foreseen because technology would harmoniously mix with manly athleticism at its highest levels.

The five-match T20 series between India and England starts in Kolkata from January 22, Wednesday. 

This series is an opportunity for both India and England to test themselves before the Champions Trophy.

India won the T20 World Cup last year by defeating South Africa.

Also Read: What happened when India played a T20I game last time at the Eden Gardens?

Since that final, Team India has played 11 T20s and has not lost a single one. Only one match was a tie against Afghanistan.

At the same time, England has not won any T20 series in India for 14 years. In such a situation, England team led by Jos Buttler would like to change this history.

Shami to return after 14 months 

In the India vs England series, everyone's eyes will be on Mohammed Shami, who has returned to the Indian team after 14 months.

Shami's performance will be special for India, because he performed brilliantly in the 2023 ODI World Cup. 

He took 24 wickets, which included 7 wickets against New Zealand in the semi-final.

Shami's comeback will be seen during this series, especially when India has recently faced inadequacy in Test cricket.

Jasprit Bumrah is also injured and is unlikely to play in the Champions Trophy, which makes Shami's comeback all the more important.

Axar Patel is the vice captain

All-rounder Axar Patel has been made the vice-captain of India for the T20 series, who has performed brilliantly in the T20 World Cup last year. 

Also, all eyes will be on the performance of Sanju Samson, who could not make it to the Champions Trophy squad.

After this series, India also has to play three ODI matches against England.

Along with Shami, England team's fast bowler Joffra Archer is also returning, who has joined the team after recovering from injury. Mark Wood will also join the team.

India vs England 1st T20I Match Preview

India vs England | Head-to-Head Record

So far 24 T20s have been played between India and England. Out of these, 13 have been won by India and 11 by England. 

On Indian soil, the hosts have six wins and five defeats against the Brits.

That means the competition between the two has been equal.

In their last T20I meeting, the Rohit Sharma-led Indian side crushed England, in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final.

However, England had earlier defeated India in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final by 10 wickets.

India vs England | Pitch Report 

The first T20 will be played between India and England at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. 

The wicket here is considered good for batting. But, due to it being winter season, dew can have a big impact on the match. 

For this reason, the role of toss can also be important. India has won its last 5 T20s at this ground. India has not lost here since 2018.

India vs England | Weather Report 

The weather will be kind in the first T20 to be played between India and England in Kolkata. 

There is no possibility of rain on Wednesday. That means the audience will get to see the full thrill of 40 overs.

India vs England | Probable Lineups

India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel (VC), Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy.

England: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, and Mark Wood.

India vs England | Squads

India T20 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Mohd Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harisht Rana, Dhruv Jurel, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakrabarthy and Washington Sundar.

England T20I Squad: Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

India vs England | Key Players to Watch Out

Suryakumar Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler, Rinku Singh

India vs England | Streaming Details 

India vs England 1st T20I is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. 

The match begins at 7:00 PM IST, with the toss set for 6:30 PM IST. 

Fans can catch IND vs ENG 1st T20I live on Star Sports for TV coverage, while live streaming will be available on Disney+ Hotstar app.

The five-match Test series of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 between India and Australia has concluded, in which Australia won by 3-1. The likes of Travis Head and Yashasvi Jaiswal stood out for their teams while debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy also impressed throughout the 5 matches. In this article, we will take a look at those batters who scored the most runs in BGT 2024-25.

Also Read: India under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Most Runs in BGT 2024-25

1# Travis Head | 448 Runs

Australia's dreaded batsman Travis Head was the highest run-scorer in the Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He remained unbeaten once in 9 innings of 5 Test matches and scored the maximum of 448 runs at an average of 56 and strike rate of 92.56.

In this series, Head scored two centuries and one half-century. He hit 52 fours and 4 sixes in the entire series. Head's highest individual score in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 was 152 runs.

2# Yashasvi Jaiswal | 391 Runs

Indian young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal finished 2nd in the race for most runs in BGT 2024-25. It was his first series in Australia as well. Jaiswal scored 391 runs while remaining unbeaten once in 10 innings of five Test matches. He scored these runs at an average of 43.44 and strike rate of 53.41. 

Jaiswal scored one century and two half-centuries in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He hit 44 fours and 4 sixes in the entire series. Jaiswal's top score in this series was 161 runs which came in Perth Test.

3# Steve Smith | 314 Runs

Australia's middle order batsman Steve Smith was the third top scorer in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The series saw the comeback of Aussie star batter who returned with a bang, scoring 314 runs in 9 innings of five matches including 2 brilliant hundreds to his name. Smith scored runs in this series at an average of 34.88 and strike rate of 54.99.

Smithp's best score in this series was 140 runs. He hit 31 fours and four sixes. However, Smith missed completing his 10,000 runs in Test cricket in this series by just 1 run.

4# Nitish Kumar Reddy | 298 Runs

Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy made his Test debut in this series and he was successful in performing brilliantly. Nitish was a part of Team India in all five Tests. In his first Test series, Nitish scored 298 runs while remaining unbeaten once in nine innings of five matches at an average of 37.25 and strike rate of 64.22.

Nitish also scored a century in this series. He hit 30 fours and 8 sixes in the series. His best score was 114 runs.

Also Read: Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

5# KL Rahul | 276 Runs

Indian opener KL Rahul, considered a liability at the start of BGT, scored 276 runs at an average of 30.66 despite having his role in the order changed to accomodate Rohit. Rahul started the series well and scored 26 and 77 in the Perth Test. He added 201 runs with Jaiswal in the second innings of the Perth Test and guided India to a historic win.

Rahul remained unbeaten once in 10 innings of five matches. He scored two half-centuries in the series and his highest score was 84 runs which came in Brisbane Test.

6# Rishabh Pant | 255 Runs

India's wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant’s overall performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 has been a mixed bag. While he has gotten starts, he has struggled to convert them into big scores. 

The third innings of the game saw Pant score the second-fastest half-century by an Indian in just 29 balls. This comes close to his own record of a half-century off 28 balls against Sri Lanka in 2022. This was his only fifty in BGT 2024-25 as he finished the series with 255 runs at an average of 28.33.