The Silence of Ranji: Domestic Cricket's Empty Press Box Behind the IPL Glare

The press box on the second floor of Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has worn an odd silence for the past few years. On that February morning when a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal began, there were exactly six journalists present — three of them being team media officers. Ten years earlier, more than twenty cricket reporters would have been present at the same venue for the same fixture. This is not a complaint; it is a record — of the decline that was created not by the IPL's glare but by the calendar that came with it. I have diaries written since 2026. When a young reporter who started at The Indian Express in Chandigarh first covered a Ranji match, he was told that domestic cricket is the backbone of the country. In those days, the newspaper's sports page was filled with Ranji scorecards — every morning. Today, that same page is filled with IPL strategies, foreign leagues, and digital clips. Ranji scores still appear, but only as data. The story around them, that struggle, that selection committee politics — has been lost somewhere. In this year's Ranji season, a rising 23-year-old left-arm spinner took 28 wickets. His name did not appear in any major newspaper headline. But when the IPL auction took place, that same player was bought for four crore. In the auction room, every paddle is a pulse I learned to count — and this pulse indicates that franchise scouts are watching those matches that the press is not. This gap is the real story. Ranji Trophy coverage has declined by more than 60 percent over the past decade. According to my own records, in 2026 a major newspaper had at least two permanent reporters for domestic cricket. Today, most newspapers have none. The BCCI's media rights contract (2026-2027) is worth more than 6,000 crore rupees, of which the IPL's share is the largest. But there is no separate broadcast deal for the Ranji. The meaning is clear — if it is not broadcast, why should it be covered? This is economic logic, and this is what has strangled domestic cricket. The lesson I learned after the 2026 Champions Trophy final at The Oval in London applies here. That night I spoke late into the night with the coach and players, because the headline was to come the next morning — but the truth had already been found in the corridor. That same method should be applied to Ranji. Ranji's truth lies with those coaches who stand in the nets every day, with those scorers who count every run. But there is no journalist at the ground to reach them. Cricket's democracy has split into two parts. In the upper part is the T20 glare, where there is a camera on every ball, an instant replay on every shot. In the lower part is Ranji, where a player bats for 90 overs and the next day the newspaper says only 'century'. My argument is direct: the IPL did not kill Test cricket; it hollowed out the Ranji Trophy. Test cricket still sells in India, but the chroniclers of first-class cricket are gone. This is a warning for the generation that wants to build a career in the IPL. If there is no Ranji coverage, its foundation will weaken. In my private diary, the names of those whom only scouts saw are still recorded — because the press box was empty. The question is: will the BCCI create a separate broadcast and media coverage framework for Ranji? Until that happens, every February that empty press box will silently bear witness — to the cricket that is played a lot, but seen by no one.