Kerala cricket team to tour England to prepare for next Ranji Trophy season

Ranji Trophy losing finalists, Kerala will tour England later this year to prepare for the next domestic season.

Captain Sachin Baby said the idea was to acclimatise the squad to the different conditions they encountered during a punishing Ranji Trophy campaign, which began in mid-October and took them to Kolkata, Rohtak, Alur, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Nagpur, among other cities.

"When we play in cold climates or on green wickets, we encounter difficulties," captain Sachin said at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

"To overcome that, the Kerala team will spend two months in Jammu & Kashmir during the IPL time from April to May. Then will tour England in June-July. That's our plan for the next four months," Sachin said.

Kerala coached by former international Amay Khurasiya had their best ever finish to a Ranji campaign by reaching the final. Kerala had only once before reached the semifinal-stage of the multi-day competition, in 2018-19.

Kerala gave Vidarbha a great fight in the final in Nagpur, missing out on the title by virtue of a 37-run lead that the hosts secured in the first innings. The match ended in a draw. Kerala ended the campaign without losing a match.