Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a comprehensive domestic schedule for the 2026–27 season, reflecting its commitment towards strengthening the country’s cricketing pipeline. A total of 1,788 matches will be played across the men’s and women’s competitions, which include senior cricket as well as U-23, U-19 and U-16 categories. This busy calendar will run from August 2026 to March 2027 and includes a number of significant changes to improve competition standards and player development.
The official start of the domestic season is prestigious Duleep Trophy 23 August at the Center of Excellence and will conclude after the final stages of the Ranji Trophy in March 2027.
Ranji Trophy split stage format intact
India’s premier first-class competition, ranji trophywill continue with the split stage structure introduced in recent seasons. The league stage will begin on October 11, then pause briefly for white-ball competitions at the end of the year. The tournament will resume in January, with the knockout matches scheduled from 9 February to 3 March.
The structure will remain unchanged, with 32 teams divided into four elite groups of eight teams each, while six teams will compete in the Plate division. The top two teams from each elite group will qualify directly for the quarter-finals.
defending champions jammu and kashmir Madhya Pradesh is in Elite Group A along with Vidarbha and Uttar Pradesh. Elite Group B includes strong teams like Karnataka, Andhra and Saurashtra, while Bengal, Maharashtra and Kerala form a competitive Elite Group C. Mumbai, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan are in Elite Group D.
Before the Ranji Trophy begins, the Irani Cup will be played in Srinagar or Jammu from October 1 to 5, making the red-ball calendar all the more important.
CK Nayudu Trophy match returns after a long time
A major highlight of the latest calendar is Col. C.K. The Nayudu Trophy is back for the winners versus the rest of India. The match will be held in Chennai from October 1 to 4 under the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA), which is making a comeback after a long time.
BCCI believes that this match will provide valuable experience to the emerging U-23 players and give them an opportunity to gain experience in high-pressure, elite domestic cricket.
Important changes in white ball competitions
In a significant move, the men’s U-23 State A Trophy and Vizia Trophy have been converted into T20 tournaments instead of ODI competitions. The decision reflects the growing importance of the shortest format and the Board’s effort to prepare young cricketers for the demands of modern times.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Will be played from 14 November to 6 December. Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Mohali will host the league stage, while Nagpur has been selected for the knockout matches.
The tournament will continue with the Super League format. Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bengal and Karnataka are in Elite Group A, while Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Tamil Nadu are in Elite Group B.
meanwhile, Vijay Hazare Trophy Scheduled from December 14 to January 8. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Ranchi and Rajkot will host the league matches, while Visakhapatnam will host the knockout matches.
Focus on junior cricket and balanced conditions
BCCI has also made adjustments in the schedule of junior tournaments. For U-16 category Vijay Merchant Trophy has been moved to the November-January window to improve preparation time for young players.
Another important change Cooch Behar Trophy Is regarding knockout matches. Now all the knockout matches of the U-19 red ball competition will be held in Bengaluru and Mysore. This step has been taken to make playing conditions more fair considering the variation in weather conditions in different regions during the winter months.
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