# 1938–39 Ranji Trophy

The 1938–39 Ranji Trophy was the fifth edition of the Ranji Trophy, an annual first-class cricket tournament in India. Matches were played from 28 October 1938 to 21 February 1939 with a total of twenty teams participating. The Army and Delhi both returned and were included in the North Zone. The sides were divided into four zonal groups, but the tournament utilised a knockout format. Bengal won their first title defeating Southern Punjab in the final.

## Teams

Although the tournament ran in a knockout format, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised the teams by zone. Delhi and the Army rejoined North Zone although the latter did not actually play a match. United Provinces (North to East) and Rajputana (East to North) exchanged zones. The twenty teams are listed alphabetically by zone and the sides that won each zonal title are in bold.

## Highlights

* Tom Longfield was the second non-native captain to win the Ranji Trophy, after Bert Wensley in 1936–37.
* Naoomal Jeoomal of Sind scored 203* against Nawanagar out of a score of only 326.
* In the Nawanagar v Western India match, Amar Singh became the first bowler to take 100 Ranji Trophy wickets. This was his 14th Ranji Trophy match.

## Zonal matches
### East Zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| 3 Dec 1938 – Calcutta | 3 Dec 1938 – Calcutta |
| Bengal | 366/3d |
| Bengal | 366/3d | 31 Dec 1938 – Calcutta | 31 Dec 1938 – Calcutta |
| Bihar | 105 & 76 | 31 Dec 1938 – Calcutta | 31 Dec 1938 – Calcutta |
| Bihar | 105 & 76 | Bengal | 378/9d |
| 10 Dec 1938– Indore | 10 Dec 1938– Indore | | Bengal | 378/9d |
| 10 Dec 1938– Indore | 10 Dec 1938– Indore | Central India | 108 & 149 |
| Central India | 170 & 279 | Central India | 108 & 149 |
| United Provinces | 49 & 154 | | |

### North Zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | Round 3 | Round 3 |
| 12 Nov 1938 – Patiala | 12 Nov 1938 – Patiala | | | |
| Southern Punjab | 304 & 221 | | | |
| Southern Punjab | 304 & 221 | 2 Jan 1939— Patiala | 2 Jan 1939— Patiala | | |
| Rajputana | 190 & 151 | 2 Jan 1939— Patiala | 2 Jan 1939— Patiala | |
| Rajputana | 190 & 151 | Southern Punjab | 379 | |
| 26 Nov 1938 – Peshawar | 26 Nov 1938 – Peshawar | | Southern Punjab | 379 | |
| 26 Nov 1938 – Peshawar | 26 Nov 1938 – Peshawar | North West Frontier Province | 227 & 115 | |
| North West Frontier Province | 418/8d | North West Frontier Province | 227 & 115 | |
| North West Frontier Province | 418/8d | | | | 21 Jan 1939— Patiala | 21 Jan 1939— Patiala |
| Delhi | 207 & 40 | | | | 21 Jan 1939— Patiala | 21 Jan 1939— Patiala |
| Delhi | 207 & 40 | | | | Southern Punjab | 180 & 120/1 |
| | | | | | Northern India | 116 & 123 |
| | | Northern India | Walkover | | | |
| | | Army | | |

### South Zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 |
| | | 17 Dec 1938 – Madras | 17 Dec 1938 – Madras |
| | | Madras | 159 & 150/4 |
| 25 Nov 1938 – Secunderabad | 25 Nov 1938 – Secunderabad | | Madras | 159 & 150/4 |
| 25 Nov 1938 – Secunderabad | 25 Nov 1938 – Secunderabad | Hyderabad | 139 & 168 |
| Hyderabad | 382 & 236/7 | Hyderabad | 139 & 168 |
| Mysore | 285 & 111/2 | | |

### West Zone

| Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | | Round 3 | Round 3 |
| | | 5 Nov 1938 – Karachi | 5 Nov 1938 – Karachi | | |
| | | Sind | 370/7 | |
| 28 Oct 1938 – Baroda | 28 Oct 1938 – Baroda | | Sind | 370/7 | |
| 28 Oct 1938 – Baroda | 28 Oct 1938 – Baroda | Bombay | 366 | |
| Baroda | 326 | Bombay | 366 | |
| Baroda | 326 | | | | 24 Dec 1938 – Karachi | 24 Dec 1938 – Karachi |
| Bombay | 441 | | | | 24 Dec 1938 – Karachi | 24 Dec 1938 – Karachi |
| Bombay | 441 | | | | Sind | 326 & 263/7d |
| 4 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | 4 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | | | | | Sind | 326 & 263/7d |
| 4 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | 4 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | | | | Nawanagar | 271 & 125/2 |
| Nawanagar | 238 & 16/2 | | | | Nawanagar | 271 & 125/2 |
| Nawanagar | 238 & 16/2 | 9 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | 9 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | | | |
| Gujarat | 105 & 148 | 9 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | 9 Nov 1938 – Jamnagar | | | |
| Gujarat | 105 & 148 | Nawanagar | 168 & 184/6 | | | |
| 4 Nov 1938 – Rajkot | 4 Nov 1938 – Rajkot | | Nawanagar | 168 & 184/6 | | | |
| 4 Nov 1938 – Rajkot | 4 Nov 1938 – Rajkot | Western India | 166 & 185 | |
| Western India | 138 & 180 | Western India | 166 & 185 | |
| Maharashtra | 131 & 77 | | | |

## Inter-zonal knockout stage

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 21 Jan 1939 – Calcutta | 21 Jan 1939 – Calcutta |
| Bengal | 515 |
| Bengal | 515 | 18 Feb 1939 – Calcutta | 18 Feb 1939 – Calcutta |
| Madras | 114 & 116 | 18 Feb 1939 – Calcutta | 18 Feb 1939 – Calcutta |
| Madras | 114 & 116 | Bengal | 222 & 418 |
| 10 Feb 1939 – Patiala | 10 Feb 1939 – Patiala | | Bengal | 222 & 418 |
| 10 Feb 1939 – Patiala | 10 Feb 1939 – Patiala | Southern Punjab | 328 & 134 |
| Southern Punjab | 197 & 168/3 | Southern Punjab | 328 & 134 |
| Sind | 339 & 23 | | |

## Final

* 18–21 February 1939 Scorecard
* Bengal won by 178 runs Eden Gardens, Calcutta Umpires: Nirmal Chatterjee, M. Dutta Ray
* Bengal won the toss and elected to bat.