The 2025-26 season of the Ranji Trophy, India's premier domestic red-ball tournament, is scheduled to start from October 15. There will be 38 teams taking part across Elite (32) and Plate (six) divisions, as many as 19 matches, which are scheduled to take place across different parts of the country in the first round.
Defending champions Vidarbha will start their campaign against Nagaland, and on the other hand, the most dominating Ranji Team Mumbai will start their campaign against Jammu and Kashmir. Last edition's finalists Kerala will take on Maharashtra in their tournament opener.
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 format
The Ranji Trophy 2025-26 has two parts: the Elite division and the Plate division. The Elite division has 32 teams divided into four groups, while the Plate division has 6 teams in one group. Each team will play once against every other team in their group.
In the Elite division, the top two teams from each group move on to the quarter-finals, making a total of 8 teams. In the Plate division, the top four teams go to the Plate knockouts. There is also a separate set of matches to decide the final positions for the lower-ranked Plate teams and those who lose in the Plate semi-finals.
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 groups
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Elite Groups
Group A: Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Odisha, Baroda, Nagaland, Vidarbha
Group B: Saurashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab
Group C: Railways, Haryana, Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Assam, Services, Tripura
Group D: Hyderabad, Delhi, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Mumbai, Puducherry, Himachal Pradesh
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Plate Group
Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram.
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Schedule - Round 1 eite schedule
Group A schedule
| Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh vs Andhra | 9:30 AM IST | Green Park, Kanpur |
| Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand | 9:30 AM IST | Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore |
| Odisha vs Baroda | 9:30 AM IST | Barabati Stadium, Cuttack |
| Nagaland vs Vidarbha | 9:30 AM IST | BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1, Bengaluru |
Group B schedule
| Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Saurashtra vs Karnataka | 9:30 AM IST | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khandheri, Rajkot |
| Kerala vs Maharashtra | 9:30 AM IST | Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram |
| Goa vs Chandigarh | 9:30 AM IST | Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, Porvorim |
| Madhya Pradesh vs Punjab | 9:30 AM IST | Emerald High School Ground, Indore |
Group C schedule
| Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Railways vs Haryana | 9:30 AM IST | Pithwala Stadium, Bhimpore, Surat |
| Bengal vs Uttarakhand | 9:30 AM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Gujarat vs Assam | 9:30 AM IST | Narendra Modi Stadium A Ground, Ahmedabad |
| Services vs Tripura | 9:30 AM IST | Palam A Stadium, Delhi |
Group D schedule
| Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad vs Delhi | 9:30 AM IST | NexGen Cricket Ground, Hyderabad |
| Rajasthan vs Chhattisgarh | 9:30 AM IST | Madan Paliwal Miraj Sports Centre, Rajsamand, Rajasthan |
| Jammu & Kashmir vs Mumbai | 9:30 AM IST | Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, Srinagar |
| Puducherry vs Himachal Pradesh | 9:30 AM IST | Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, Puducherry |
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 schedule, Round 1 (plate)
| Match | Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Bihar vs Arunachal Pradesh | 9:30 AM IST | Moin-ul-Haq Stadium, Patna |
| Sikkim vs Manipur | 9:30 AM IST | SICA Ground, Rangpo |
| Meghalaya vs Mizoram | 9:30 AM IST | Meghalaya Cricket Association Ground, Shillong |