The Ranji Trophy is the lifeline of Indian domestic cricket. The tournament, which began in 1934-35, has contributed immensely to the cricketing greatness in India. From legendary players to memorable matches, the history of Ranji Trophy is entrenched in the history of Indian cricket. This blog will cover the Ranji trophy winning teams, year wise list of champions, and the teams that have been dominant in the tournament over the decades. Ranji Trophy History: Foundation of Indian Cricket Ranji Trophy is named after Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji and it started in 1934-35 with Bombay winning the first trophy. The occasion which began as a minor domestic contest has now grown to be the main first-class tournament in India and comprises 38 teams across Elite and Plate groups. The Ranji Trophy has always been the main gateway to the Indian national team, producing stars such as Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli. Ranji Trophy Winners Year Wise (1934-2026) The following is a full list of Ranji Trophy winners: Season Winner Runner-up 1934–35 Bombay Northern India 1935–36 Bombay Madras 1936–37 Nawanagar Bengal 1937–38 Hyderabad Nawanagar 1938–39 Bengal Southern Punjab 1939–40 Maharashtra United Provinces 1940–41 Maharashtra Madras 1941–42 Bombay Mysore 1942–43 Baroda Hyderabad 1943–44 Western India Bengal 1944–45 Bombay Holkar 1945–46 Holkar Baroda 1946–47 Baroda Holkar 1947–48 Holkar Bombay 1948–49 Bombay Baroda 1949–50 Baroda Holkar 1950–51 Holkar Gujarat 1951–52 Bombay Holkar 1952–53 Holkar Bengal 1953–54 Bombay Holkar 1954–55 Madras Holkar 1955–56 Bombay Bengal 1956–57 Bombay Services 1957–58 Baroda Services 1958–59 Bombay Bengal 1959–60 Bombay Mysore 1960–61 Bombay Rajasthan 1961–62 Bombay Rajasthan 1962–63 Bombay Rajasthan 1963–64 Bombay Rajasthan 1964–65 Bombay Hyderabad 1965–66 Bombay Rajasthan 1966–67 Bombay Rajasthan 1967–68 Bombay Madras 1968–69 Bombay Bengal 1969–70 Bombay Rajasthan 1970–71 Bombay Maharashtra 1971–72 Bombay Bengal 1972–73 Bombay Tamil Nadu 1973–74 Karnataka Rajasthan 1974–75 Bombay Karnataka 1975–76 Bombay Bihar 1976–77 Bombay Delhi 1977–78 Karnataka Uttar Pradesh 1978–79 Delhi Karnataka 1979–80 Delhi Bombay 1980–81 Bombay Delhi 1981–82 Delhi Karnataka 1982–83 Karnataka Bombay 1983–84 Bombay Delhi 1984–85 Bombay Delhi 1985–86 Delhi Haryana 1986–87 Hyderabad Delhi 1987–88 Tamil Nadu Railways 1988–89 Delhi Bengal 1989–90 Bengal Delhi 1990–91 Haryana Bombay 1991–92 Delhi Tamil Nadu 1992–93 Punjab Maharashtra 1993–94 Bombay Bengal 1994–95 Bombay Punjab 1995–96 Karnataka Tamil Nadu 1996–97 Mumbai Delhi 1997–98 Karnataka Uttar Pradesh 1998–99 Karnataka Madhya Pradesh 1999–00 Mumbai Hyderabad 2000–01 Baroda Railways 2001–02 Railways Baroda 2002–03 Mumbai Tamil Nadu 2003–04 Mumbai Tamil Nadu 2004–05 Railways Punjab 2005–06 Uttar Pradesh Bengal 2006–07 Mumbai Bengal 2007–08 Delhi Uttar Pradesh 2008–09 Mumbai Uttar Pradesh 2009–10 Mumbai Karnataka 2010–11 Rajasthan Baroda 2011–12 Rajasthan Tamil Nadu 2012–13 Mumbai Saurashtra 2013–14 Karnataka Maharashtra 2014–15 Karnataka Tamil Nadu 2015–16 Mumbai Saurashtra 2016–17 Gujarat Mumbai 2017–18 Vidarbha Delhi 2018–19 Vidarbha Saurashtra 2019–20 Saurashtra Bengal 2020–21 Not Held (COVID-19) — 2021–22 Madhya Pradesh Mumbai 2022–23 Saurashtra Bengal 2023–24 Mumbai Vidarbha 2024–25 Vidarbha* Kerala 2025–26 TBD TBD *Won on first-innings lead. Most Successful Ranji Trophy Teams Mumbai (previously Bombay) stands tall when it comes to dominance in Ranji Trophy. Team Titles Won Mumbai 42 Karnataka 8 Delhi 7 Baroda 5 Vidarbha 3 Well-developed domestic structure and harmonious talent pipeline are the major reasons for unmatched success of Mumbai. Modern Era & Rising Champions Teams like Vidarbha and Saurashtra have transformed the competitive scene in recent years. The consecutive wins of Vidarbha (2017-18, 2018-19) and their victory in 2024-25 is an indication of the increased parity in Indian domestic cricket. Why Ranji Trophy Matters? The Ranji Trophy is the final test of technique, temperament and endurance despite the emergence of T20 leagues. It still identifies red-ball experts and future Test cricketers and keeps traditional cricket alive in India. Final Thoughts The Ranji Trophy winners list showcase 100 years of cricketing excellence. The tournament has been the mainstay of Indian cricket for the longest time. With the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 in action, it’s heritage just keeps gaining strength and competitiveness.
