One season, 1788 matches: BCCI announces domestic schedule for 2026-27; know when Ranji Trophy will begin

The season will consist tournaments in Senior, Under-23, Under-19 and Under-16 categories in men's cricket. Meanwhile, the women's calendar will include tournament in the senior, Under-23, Under-19, and Under-15 categories.

The 2026-27 domestic season will start on August 23 with the games of the Duleep Trophy, which will be played in the red-ball format. A total of six zonal teams will take part in the prestigious domestic tournament, including North Zone, South Zone, East Zone, West Zone, North-East Zone, and Central Zone.

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Change in the formats of tournaments

As part of the BCCI's continued efforts to match with the demands of modern-day cricket, the Men's Under-23 State A Trophy and the Vizzy Trophy have been converted from one-day competitions into T20 tournaments.

Meanwhile, the scheduled for the Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under- 16) has also been revised. The competition will now be held from November to January, letting players to have a better preparation time and enjoy improved scheduling opportunities.

When will the Ranji Trophy start?

India's premium domestic competition, the Ranji Trophy, along with the Col. CK Nayudu Trophy, will be played in a two-phase structure. The format has been retained to give players good enough time to get recovered.

The Ranji Trophy Elite Group will consist 32 sided divided into four groups, while the Plate Group will include six teams. The first phase of the Ranji Trophy will be played from October 11 to November 5. The second phase will begin on January 17 while the knockout games are set to take place from February 9 to March 3.

Domestic Cricket Tournament Schedule