Mumbai begin Ranji campaign on December 1

MUMBAI: Former champions Mumbai have been placed in Group B of the November 23, 2006 – January 13, 2007 Elite Division Ranji Trophy League for the 2006-07 season while holders Uttar Pradesh have been drawn in Group A.

Apart from UP, Group A consists of Baroda, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra, Haryana and Saurashtra— promoted from the Plate division.

Mumbai have been pooled along with reputed domestic sides like Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan (the other promoted team), Punjab, Hyderabad and Gujarat and open their campaign with the four-day fixture against Hyderabad from December one to four, according to Mumbai Cricket Association secretary Lalchand Rajput.

The domestic season is to commence in the traditional fashion with the Irani Cup tie between last season’s Ranji Trophy winners UP and the Rest of India and the tie is likely to be held at Nagpur from October nine to 13, a Cricket Board source said.

The Duleep Trophy tournament, featuring the five zones apart from South Africa ‘A’, has been scheduled from October 19 to November 17 in central zone centres.

The Deodhar Trophy one-day inter-zonal tournament is to take place from February 25 to March nine, 2007, in north zone centres while no dates have yet been fixed for the Challenger Trophy one-day event featuring India seniors, India A and B.

The zonal limited over tournament would be held from Feb 10-20, 2007.