The Ranji Trophy is not only India’s showpiece domestic cricket tournament, but it is also the very soul of Indian cricket. And this red-ball game, since its inception in 1934, has provided the great Indians an identity. From Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, every cricketing great has cut their teeth in this tournament.

In this comprehensive post, we will go through the entire list of Ranji Trophy winners to date – from 1934 to 2025, along with how it all began and some of the most iconic moments that embody this prestigious competition.

What is The Ranji Trophy?

The Ranji Trophy is India’s premier first-class cricket competition, named after Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji (Jam Sahib) of Nawanagara, who was the first Indian to play international cricket. The league started in the 1934–35 season with Bombay (now Mumbai) winning the inaugural Championship.

The Ranji Trophy has since expanded into one of the largest domestic cricket tournaments in the world, with 38 teams participating. It is still the last frontier for aspiring Indian players to show their red-ball worth and earn a national call-up.

Ranji Trophy Winners List (1934 – 2025)

YearWinnerRunner-Up
2024–25Vidarbha (First Innings Lead)Kerala
2023–24MumbaiVidarbha
2022–23SaurashtraBengal
2021–22Madhya PradeshMumbai
2020–21Not Held (Covid-19)–
2019–20SaurashtraBengal
2018–19VidarbhaSaurashtra
2017–18VidarbhaDelhi
2016–17GujaratMumbai
2015–16MumbaiSaurashtra
2014–15KarnatakaTamil Nadu
2013–14KarnatakaMaharashtra
2012–13MumbaiSaurashtra
2011–12RajasthanTamil Nadu
2010–11RajasthanBaroda
2009–10MumbaiKarnataka
2008–09MumbaiUttar Pradesh
2007–08DelhiUttar Pradesh
2006–07MumbaiBengal
2005–06Uttar PradeshBengal
2004–05RailwaysPunjab
2003–04MumbaiTamil Nadu
2002–03MumbaiTamil Nadu
2001–02RailwaysBaroda
2000–01BarodaRailways
1999–00MumbaiHyderabad
1998–99KarnatakaMadhya Pradesh
1997–98KarnatakaUttar Pradesh
1996–97MumbaiDelhi
1995–96KarnatakaTamil Nadu
1994–95BombayPunjab
1993–94BombayBengal
1992–93PunjabMaharashtra
1991–92DelhiTamil Nadu
1990–91HaryanaBombay
1989–90BengalDelhi
1988–89DelhiBengal
1987–88Tamil NaduRailways
1986–87HyderabadDelhi
1985–86DelhiHaryana
1984–85BombayDelhi
1983–84BombayDelhi
1982–83KarnatakaBombay
1981–82DelhiKarnataka
1980–81BombayDelhi
1979–80DelhiBombay
1978–79DelhiKarnataka
1977–78KarnatakaUttar Pradesh
1976–77BombayDelhi
1975–76BombayBihar
1974–75BombayKarnataka
1973–74KarnatakaRajasthan
1972–73BombayTamil Nadu
1971–72BombayBengal
1970–71BombayMaharashtra
1969–70BombayRajasthan
1968–69BombayBengal
1967–68BombayMadras
1966–67BombayRajasthan
1965–66BombayRajasthan
1964–65BombayHyderabad
1963–64BombayRajasthan
1962–63BombayRajasthan
1961–62BombayRajasthan
1960–61BombayRajasthan
1959–60BombayMysore
1958–59BombayBengal
1957–58BarodaServices
1956–57BombayServices
1955–56BombayBengal
1954–55MadrasHolkar
1953–54BombayHolkar
1952–53HolkarBengal
1951–52BombayHolkar
1950–51HolkarGujarat
1949–50BarodaHolkar
1948–49BombayBaroda
1947–48HolkarBombay
1946–47BarodaHolkar
1945–46HolkarBaroda
1944–45BombayHolkar
1943–44Western IndiaBengal
1942–43BarodaHyderabad
1941–42BombayMysore
1940–41MaharashtraMadras
1939–40MaharashtraUnited Provinces
1938–39BengalSouthern Punjab
1937–38HyderabadNawanagar
1936–37NawanagarBengal
1935–36BombayMadras
1934–35BombayNorthern India

History and Evolution

The Ranji Trophy was initially the championship between regional teams of India, such as Bombay, Madras and Bengal. This was replaced in 2002–03 by the Elite and Plate divisions, which established a more equitable system to match up competition between stronger & weaker teams.

Most Successful Ranji Trophy Teams:

  • Mumbai (formerly Bombay) – 42 titles, most by a team.
  • Karnataka – 8 titles.
  • Delhi – 7 titles.
  • Baroda, Saurashtra, Vidarbha and Rajasthan have also formed a new generation of strong teams.

Here is the Ranji Trophy winners list that shows Mumbai’s colossal dominance during the first half of the 20th century and new champions like Saurashtra, Vidarbha in recent times.

Memorable Moments in Ranji Trophy

  • Mumbai’s reign (1950s–1980s): The team won 20 titles in 26 seasons, a feat almost impossible to beat.
  • Rajasthan’s consecutive titles (2010–12): A spectacular rise after years of toil.
  • Vidarbha’s double (2017–19): The underdogs stunned everyone to win two titles on the trot.
  • Tanush Kotian & Tushar Deshpande in 2023–24: Both the No.10 and No.11 batsmen hit centuries, for the first time in FC history!

Ranji Trophy 2025 Champion

It was Vidarbha and Kerala exchanging punches in an enthralling red-ball contest in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy final. Vidarbha won the match, which ended in a draw, on first-innings lead and clinched their third Ranji Trophy title.

Their regular such performances now firmly consign Vidarbha amongst India’s premier domestic sides, who boast stability in batting and discipline in bowling.

Why the Ranji Trophy Still Matters

In the times of T20s and the IPL, the Ranji Trophy remains India’s ultimate test of skill and temperament. It is still the gate to the Indian national team, a school for players who appreciate patience, consistency and technique.

The tournament, therefore, continues to hold Indian cricket by the roots – marrying, as it were, the glitz of modern formats with the purity of red-ball cricket.

Final Thoughts

The Ranji Trophy winners list is a tale of India’s cricketing transformation – from Bombay’s golden age to the rise of recent teams like Vidarbha and Saurashtra.

Nearly a century and a decade later, the Ranji Trophy is still the bedrock of Indian cricket, personifying in its essence the classical form of cricket and it still churns out stars who inspire philosophy emulation for posterity.

The Ranji Trophy will always have a proud place in the history of cricket, as long as India loves red-ball cricket.

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