The 2016-17 season of the Ranji Trophy will start from Thursday.

For the first time, 28 teams will be taking part in the tournament's 83rd edition, with new entrants Chhattisgarh making their way into a ten-team Group C. The Ranji Trophy had become a 27-team affair with the addition of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Tripura in 1985-86. Thereafter, though the format of the competition changed often, the number of teams remained constant. The only change was Jharkhand replacing Bihar in 2004-05.