For every famous trophy that’s been in circulation for generations, there are annual replicas that are handed out to winning teams. Be it the World Cup, Davis Cup, the Wimbledon trophy, or the Ashes.

Even for the Ranji Trophy, the biggest domestic cricket tournament in India that has been in existence since 1934, a tiny copy is given to the winning team every season. But, unlike the other famous trophies mentioned above, this replica is 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.

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