Ranjib Biswal is an Indian former first-class cricketer and politician from Odisha. He played domestic cricket for Odisha (then Orissa) and captained the India Under-19 team during the late 1980s. After retiring from active cricket, he moved into cricket administration and electoral politics, serving as a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly with the Indian National Congress.
| Full name | Ranjib Biswal |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| State | Odisha |
| Domestic team | Odisha (Orissa) cricket team |
| Format | First-class cricket |
| Notable role | Captain, India Under-19 cricket team |
| Profession | Cricketer, cricket administrator, politician |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
Biswal emerged from the Odisha cricket circuit in the 1980s, a period when the state was working to establish a stronger presence on the Indian domestic cricket calendar. He came up through age-group cricket and earned national selection at the youth level, leading to his appointment as captain of the India Under-19 side.
As a right-handed batsman, Biswal represented Orissa in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic competitions organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He led the India Under-19 team in international youth fixtures, a role that placed him among contemporaries who later progressed to the senior India side.
After his playing career, Biswal remained associated with the game in administrative capacities, including roles connected with the Odisha Cricket Association and BCCI committees overseeing domestic and franchise cricket. He has been associated with the governance and operational management of the Indian Premier League (IPL) through committee work appointed by the BCCI.
Biswal entered electoral politics with the Indian National Congress and was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly representing a constituency in the Jajpur region of the state. His political work has centred on his home district in coastal Odisha.
Biswal is among the relatively small number of Indian cricketers from Odisha who have transitioned into both national-level cricket administration and state-level electoral politics, contributing to the visibility of Odisha within Indian cricket structures.