# Bengal’s 35-year Ranji Trophy drought blamed on talent mismanagement 2026-08-19T16:19:20+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta and 1989-90 Ranji Trophy-winning Bengal captain Sambaran Banerjee have diagnosed the state's prolonged title drought as a crisis of mentoring, talent management and team identity. Bengal last won the Ranji Trophy in 1989-90, and despite producing international cricketers and reaching knockout stages repeatedly, the trophy has eluded them for over 35 years. Dasgupta said former players must take responsibility and called for better mentoring, more red-ball cricket opportunities, and a review of the local cricket structure. Banerjee argued that too many outstation players dilute the 'Bengal connection', and that individual milestones have replaced team cohesion. Both agreed that a technical committee of seasoned former players should be formed to analyse gaps. Banerjee added that with Sourav Ganguly back at the helm of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), there is hope for positive changes, but stressed that players, former players and the coach must sit together for an in-depth review. The current season will show if the squad, led by coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla, can break the drought. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Bengal's Ranji Trophy drought is the longest among major Indian cricketing states that have won the title. Since 1989-90, teams like Mumbai, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have won multiple titles, often with strong local core groups. The CAB's recent restructuring, including Ganguly's return as president, aims to replicate that model. The key question is whether Bengal's domestic feeder system, the club and age-group tournaments, can produce enough ready-made red-ball cricketers. The answer will be clearer by March 2025, when the Ranji Trophy final is scheduled. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com Straight interview-based report with quotes from two former players, no editorialising. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Bengal Ranji Trophy, Deep Dasgupta, Ranji Trophy, Sambaran Banerjee, Sourav Ganguly Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bengals-35-year-ranji-trophy-drought-blamed-on-talent-mismanagement/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bengals-35-year-ranji-trophy-drought-blamed-on-talent-mismanagement/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/