Ranji Trophy: DRS to have slow-mo cam, spin vision and pitch map

Since most of the cricketers involved in the semifinals aren’t used to DRS, each team will be offered four opportunities per innings to refer a decision.

DRS in Ranji Trophy will not involve Snicko.

One of the most sought-after firsts during the Ranji Trophy semifinals starting over the weekend will be the Decision Review System (DRS), to be implemented with limited tools.

Standard of umpiring in domestic cricket has been inconsistent, to say the least, in the last few years and has severely impacted outcomes of critical games. While Karnataka benefited during the last year’s Ranji Trophy quarterfinal versus Rajasthan, it was on the receiving side during the semifinal against Saurashtra.

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While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced introduction of “limited DRS” for the Ranji knockouts starting this season, it will be implemented for the first time during the semis and the final. Sportstar understands that the DRS will not involve either Hot Spot or Snicko or Ball Tracker.

Instead, the third umpire will have a slow-motion camera and a pitch map along with spin vision to assist him. This effectively means that only lbw decisions that can be reversed are the ones that have been adjudged out despite an inside edge or when the ball has pitched outside leg-stump or impact has been outside off-stump. Even close caught-behind decisions may be referred to the third umpire.

“Look, it’s a beginning. We are initiating what we are calling ‘limited DRS’ with an objective to eliminate howlers. I am sure the initiative will help the tournament and the teams a great deal,” Saba Karim, BCCI’s General Manager (Cricket Operations) told Sportstar on Monday.

During Gujarat’s quarterfinal against Goa in Valsad, Goa’s Snehal Kauthankar received a shocker in both innings, with umpire Nandan adjudicating against him when replays concluded he was not out on both the occasions.

It is also understood that since most of the cricketers involved in the semifinals aren’t used to DRS, every innings will see each team being offered four opportunities to refer a decision to the television umpire.

“It may see much more than international cricket but it will also offer more opportunity to domestic cricketers for getting used to the DRS,” said a BCCI insider.