# 1940–41 Ranji Trophy

The 1940–41 Ranji Trophy was the seventh season of the Ranji Trophy. Nineteen teams took part in four zones in a knockout format. Maharashtra retained the title defeating Madras in the final. Maharashtra would enter and lose three more finals but as of 2014, 1940-41 remains their last Ranji title.
With cricket affected by the Second World War, Ranji Trophy was only regular domestic tournament that continued in the senior cricket nations.

## Highlights

* Maharashtra won their first four matches on first innings lead and won only the final outright.
* Maharashtra made a Ranji record score of 798 against Northern India in the semifinal, batting for most of the first three days. Originally scheduled as a three-day match, the semifinal was extended to a fourth day for the teams to complete their first innings.
* D. B. Deodhar was 48 years and 306 days old when he scored 246 against Bombay. As of 2014, he is the sixth oldest player to score a double century in first class cricket, and the second oldest Indian after C. K. Nayudu who did it at the age of 50 years and 142 days in 1945–46.
* The Bombay – Maharashtra match was scheduled for three days but went to five before the first innings were completed. Maharashtra made 675 and Bombay 650.

## Zonal matches
### West zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | Round 3 | Round 3 |
| 8 November 1940 – Jamnagar | 8 November 1940 – Jamnagar | | | |
| Nawanagar | 117 & 140 | | | |
| Nawanagar | 117 & 140 | 1 December 1940 – Rajkot | 1 December 1940 – Rajkot | | |
| Western India | 57 & 203/8 | 1 December 1940 – Rajkot | 1 December 1940 – Rajkot | |
| Western India | 57 & 203/8 | Western India | 250 & 159/4 | |
| | | Sind | 239 & 168/7d | |
| | | | | | 8 February 1941 – Rajkot | 8 February 1941 – Rajkot |
| | | | | | Western India | 459 |
| | | | | | Maharashtra | 460/3 |
| Gujarat | Walkover | | | | Maharashtra | 460/3 |
| Gujarat | Walkover | 13 January 1941 – Ahmedabad | 13 January 1941 – Ahmedabad | | | |
| Baroda | | 13 January 1941 – Ahmedabad | 13 January 1941 – Ahmedabad | | | |
| Baroda | | Gujarat | 335 | | | |
| 15 November 1940 – Poona | 15 November 1940 – Poona | | Gujarat | 335 | | |
| 15 November 1940 – Poona | 15 November 1940 – Poona | Maharashtra | 518 | |
| Maharashtra | 675 | Maharashtra | 518 | |
| Bombay | 650 | | | |

### North zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| 15 November 1940 – Peshawar | 15 November 1940 – Peshawar |
| North West Frontier Province | 97 & 88 |
| Northern India | 134 & 280 | | |
| Northern India | 134 & 280 | Northern India | Walkover |
| 15 November 1940 – Patiala | 15 November 1940 – Patiala | | Northern India | Walkover |
| 15 November 1940 – Patiala | 15 November 1940 – Patiala | Southern Punjab | |
| Southern Punjab | 275 | Southern Punjab | |
| Delhi | 111 & 106 | | |

### East zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| 30 November 1940 – Jamshedpur | 30 November 1940 – Jamshedpur |
| Bihar | 217 & 58/6 |
| Bihar | 217 & 58/6 | 7 December 1940 – Calcutta | 7 December 1940 – Calcutta |
| Bengal | 257 & 262/3d | 7 December 1940 – Calcutta | 7 December 1940 – Calcutta |
| Bengal | 257 & 262/3d | Bengal | 147 & 126 |
| | | United Provinces | 191 & 226 |

### South zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| 14 December 1940 – Madras | 14 December 1940 – Madras |
| Madras | 174/7 |
| Madras | 174/7 | 30 December 1940 – Madras | 30 December 1940 – Madras |
| Mysore | 171 | 30 December 1940 – Madras | 30 December 1940 – Madras |
| Mysore | 171 | Madras | 227 & 257/9d |
| | | Hyderabad | 98 & 132 |

## Inter-zonal knockout stage

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 6 February 1941 – Madras | 6 February 1941 – Madras |
| Madras | 271 & 158 |
| Madras | 271 & 158 | 7–9 March 1941 – Madras | 7–9 March 1941 – Madras |
| United Provinces | 255 & 149 | 7–9 March 1941 – Madras | 7–9 March 1941 – Madras |
| United Provinces | 255 & 149 | Madras | 145 & 347 |
| 22 February 1941 – Poona | 22 February 1941 – Poona | | Madras | 145 & 347 |
| 22 February 1941 – Poona | 22 February 1941 – Poona | Maharashtra | 284 & 210/4 |
| Maharashtra | 798 | Maharashtra | 284 & 210/4 |
| Northern India | 442 | | |

## Final

* 7–10 March 1941 Scorecard
* Maharashtra won by 6 wickets Chepauk, Madras Umpires: Vali Ahmed and Dattatraya Naik
* Madras won the toss and elected to bat.
* Indian Express, p.8, and CricketArchive, list M. G. Vijayasarathi as the umpire instead of Naik