BCCI Unveils 2026-27 Domestic Schedule; Ranji Trophy Kicks Off October 11 with Group Details

BCCI Announces 2026-27 Domestic Cricket Calendar

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled an extensive domestic cricket calendar for the 2026-27 season, which encompasses a total of 1,788 matches across various age groups, formats, and genders. This marks one of the busiest domestic programmes in recent years, set to commence in late August.

The Duleep Trophy will kick off the season on August 23, featuring six teams in a traditional zonal competition format. Following this, the Irani Cup is slated to take place from October 1, adding to the momentum of red-ball cricket during the season.

India’s premier first-class tournament, the Ranji Trophy, will once again adopt a split-season format. The two-phase structure, aimed at ensuring workload management and recovery while maintaining a focus on multi-day cricket, will also apply to the Col. C. K. Nayudu Trophy.

In the Ranji Trophy’s Elite division, 32 teams will be divided into four pools, while six teams will compete in the Plate section.

Updates to White-Ball Tournaments

Several changes have been made to the white-ball competitions. The Men’s U23 State A Trophy and the Vizzy Trophy will transition from one-day formats to T20 tournaments. Additionally, knockout matches for the Cooch Behar Trophy’s Elite category will be held in Bengaluru and Mysuru in January, designed to create more consistent playing conditions during critical stages of the tournament.

The Vijay Merchant Trophy has also undergone adjustments; it will now take place earlier in the season, from November to January, allowing for improved planning and preparation for teams and players involved.

The season’s calendar includes competitions for Senior, U23, U19, and U16 men’s cricket, while the women’s programme incorporates tournaments across Senior, U23, U19, and U15 categories.

Key Men’s Competitions for 2026-27

Duleep Trophy: August 23 to September 10 – Bengaluru
Irani Cup: October 1 to October 5 – Jammu/Srinagar
Ranji Trophy: October 11 to November 5
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: November 14 to December 6 (knockouts from November 30) – Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata, Mohali, Nagpur (knockouts only)
Vijay Hazare Trophy: December 14 to January 8 (knockouts from January 2) – Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Ranchi, Rajkot, Visakhapatnam (knockouts only)
Ranji Trophy (second leg): January 17 to February 4
Ranji Trophy (knockouts): February 9 to March 3

Key Women’s Competitions for 2026-27

Senior Women’s T20 Trophy: October 26 to November 20 (knockouts from November 14) – Lucknow, Pune, Delhi, Mohali, Ahmedabad (knockouts only)
Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal T20 Trophy: November 24 to December 4 – Guwahati
Senior Women’s One-Day Trophy: December 19 to January 10 (knockouts from January 4) – Cuttack, Jaipur, Baroda, Raipur, Chennai (knockouts only)
Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal One-Day Trophy: February 17 to February 27 – Chennai
Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy: March 13 to March 28 – Dehradun

Ranji Trophy Groupings

Elite A: