Ranji Trophy 1939–40

The 1939–40 Ranji Trophy marked the sixth season of this first-class tournament in India. Eighteen teams participated in the competition, which followed a knockout format across four zones. Northern India withdrew from the field for this edition but planned to return for the following year.

Maharashtra secured their first-ever title by defeating United Provinces in the final. The championship decider was a timeless match that concluded on the fourth day. United Provinces won the toss and elected to bat first before falling to the eventual champions.

Vijay Hazare dominated the individual statistics for Maharashtra. He finished the season as the leading run-scorer with 619 runs and the top wicket-taker with 20 wickets. This performance matched the feat achieved by Amar Singh in the 1937–38 season.

Hazare produced a historic effort during the tournament by scoring 316 not out against Baroda. This innings stood as the first triple century in the history of Indian first-class cricket. He also set an Indian first-class record by scoring 151 runs between the start of the third day and lunch. During that same match, Maharashtra added 326 runs for their final two wickets.

Amar Singh played his 16th and final Ranji match for Nawanagar against Baroda, where he scored 113 not out. This appearance allowed him to become the first player to complete a career double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in the competition. He finished his tournament career with 1,009 runs at an average of 43 and 105 wickets at an average of 15.48.