Ranji Trophy: Services players seek exposure to State-based T20 leagues
Services captain Rajat Paliwal wants his cricketers to take part in State-based T20 leagues to improve preparation.
Services skipper Rajat Paliwal has called for greater exposure for his players through State-based T20 leagues ahead of the Ranji Trophy match against Delhi.
Key takeaways
- Services skipper Rajat Paliwal wants his players to participate in State-based T20 leagues.
- Paliwal suggested Delhi & District Cricket Association could open its T20 league to Air Force players based in Delhi.
- Services has no age-group teams and selects its senior side through an inter-Services tournament before the domestic campaign.
- Services is one of 38 teams in the Ranji Trophy domestic first-class championship.
- The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy runs from 11 October 2026 to 3 March 2027.
Services captain Rajat Paliwal has asked for his players to be allowed to take part in State-based T20 leagues around the country. The 34-year-old, who belongs to the Indian Air Force, made the comments ahead of the Ranji Trophy game against Delhi. P.
Singh stood beside him on Sunday. Paliwal, who has been part of the domestic scene since 2011-12, said his players want greater exposure and want the initiative to be taken.
He said cricket has developed a lot across the country and that other cricketers play through the year and prepare comprehensively. He added that Services players are far away from that and that participation would help improve the quality of preparation.
He said he hopes things change in the future. Paliwal offered a specific suggestion.
He said Air Force players are Delhi-based, so if the Delhi & District Cricket Association opens its T20 league to them, there are 5-7 players who can add value and also get exposure.
Services is one of 38 teams in the Ranji Trophy, the premier first-class cricket tournament in India organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The team is a trifecta of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.
Every season, Services plays its part in strengthening and diversifying India’s domestic cricket ecosystem, even as its cricketers seldom get the limelight. The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy is the 92nd season of the tournament.
It is scheduled to take place from 11 October 2026 to 3 March 2027 as part of the 2026-27 Indian Domestic Cricket Season announced by the BCCI in June 2026.
Jammu and Kashmir are the defending champions after defeating Karnataka in the final of the 2025-26 season to win their maiden Ranji title.
The 2025-26 Ranji Trophy was the 91st season and took place from 15 October 2025 to 28 February 2026, with Vidarbha as the defending champions going into that campaign.
In the 2025-26 season, the competition was contested by 38 teams, including at least one team from each of the 28 states and four of the eight union territories. Matches are held across various cricket grounds and stadiums in India. Services has no age-group teams.
Selection for the senior set-up is dependent on a tournament among the three departments just before the domestic campaign. P.
Singh, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, said Services holds an inter-Services tournament across all three formats a month or two prior to the start of the domestic campaign. He said teams are picked based on the best performances.
Services faces Delhi in the upcoming Ranji Trophy fixture.
Services selection and league proposal details
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Team composition | Indian Army, Navy and Air Force |
Age-group teams | None |
Selection method | Inter-Services tournament across all three formats |
Timing of selection tournament | A month or two before domestic campaign |
Proposed T20 league | Delhi & District Cricket Association league |
Potential Air Force players | 5-7 |
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