Small, not beautiful: The Ranji replica that’s a bit of a joke

Measuring nine inches in height, this silver trinket actually ends up hurting sentiments rather than boosting the morale of the winning team. Once the photo-ops with the original trophy were over, the copy that was handed this year to the Delhi team had to be seen to be believed.

What did they win?

For starters, it could have been a prize for anything — even winning hopscotch at your school’s sports day — because at no place did it mention either the name of the winning team, the season, or even the tournament. All it had in terms of legend was the manufacturers’ nameplate. And, just so you don’t forget, the word ‘Silver’ was engraved at the base like a hologram of authenticity.

But to top it all, the quality of craftsmanship was such that the figure of the bearded man taking a batting stance — Ranjitsinhji, after whom the tournament is named — that wobbled at the time of presentation has already fallen off.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is now planning to make replicas for the entire Ranji Trophy-winning squad as a souvenir to celebrate a victory that came after 16 years. “We will have our own replica made and hand it to all the players. I am putting forward this proposal at our next meeting,” says Sunil Dev, the association’s sports secretary. Hopefully they will do a better job than the BCCI.

Replicating the replica

The DDCA will be emulating the Railways, who had made out replicas in 2002-03 at the insistence of coach Vinod Sharma after they won the tournament for the first time. Sharma had spent his own money on the copies and ensured that all the basic details — year, team and tournament were engraved on them.

“The main details should be there in a replica, at least,” Sharma told The Indian Express. “It sort of compensates for the absence of the big trophy, which is sent back to the BCCI headquarters. I got one made for each player and it was handed to them at an official presentation,” he added.

A Delhi player and former member of the Indian team said it was sad that the board didn’t feel the need to hand out personalised momentos. “It seems the BCCI had ordered a dozen pieces together and just hands out one every year to the team that wins. They need to understand the value of the trophy, along with the cash prize that goes with it,” he said.

He may have hit the nail on the head. The BCCI these days seems to believe in the only-cash-matters policy. While doling out huge amounts for every tournament won and every six hit is fine, perhaps the board needs to realise that some other things also matter in this sport. There’s still a place for emotions in the world of professional sport. Shouldn’t the BCCI’s replica replicate that sentiment?