1788 games, 8 categories, one marathon season: BCCI announces India domestic schedule for 2026-27; action begins Aug 23

The Indian board announced a schedule comprising 1788 matches across age-group and senior cricket during the season

Updated on: May 20, 2026, 18:58:54 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced its marathon schedule for the 2026/27 domestic season across eight categories, covering both men’s and women’s cricket, with action set to begin on August 23 with the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

India's domestic season will get underway from August 23, 2026

The Indian board announced a schedule comprising 1788 matches across age-group and senior cricket during the season, including U-16, U-19, U-23 and senior levels for men, and U-15, U-19, U-23 and senior levels for women.

Overall, there are two notable changes for the upcoming season. Keeping up with modern demands, the U-23 white-ball competition and the Inter-zonal University meet for the Vizzy Trophy will now be played in the T20 format. The board also decided to move the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U-16) to the November-January window, allowing young cricketers more time to prepare for annual and board examinations, which are usually held in February and March.

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“The 2026-27 domestic season reflects the BCCI’s continued commitment to building a strong and competitive domestic structure while ensuring balanced progression across formats and categories,” the board said in a release.

Action begins August 23

The Duleep Trophy, returning to the zonal format, will kick off the domestic season. It will be played from August 23 to September 10 before the action shifts to Srinagar for the Irani Cup between Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir cricket team and Rest of India from October 1 to 5.

A week later, the first phase of the Ranji Trophy Elite, comprising four rounds, will begin from October 11 to November 5. The second phase will be played from January 17 to February 4, after the completion of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be held between November 14 and December 6 across Mumbai, Mohali, Vizag and Kolkata, with the knockout stage scheduled in Nagpur. The Vijay Hazare Trophy will run from December 14, 2026 to January 8, 2027.

The Ranji Trophy knockout stage will be held from February 9 to March 3. In the Plate division, the second phase will conclude earlier on January 20, with the final scheduled between January 24 and 28.

The BCCI also confirmed that the Col. CK Nayudu Trophy will be played in two phases.

“The upcoming season will witness the reinstatement of the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy Winners vs Rest of India fixture, scheduled from October 1 to 4, 2026. The match returns to the domestic calendar to provide an enhanced competitive platform for emerging U-23 cricketers,” the release added.

The Senior Women’s T20 Trophy Elite tournament will be held from October 26 to November 6 in Lucknow, Pune, Delhi and Mohali. The knockout matches will then take place in Ahmedabad from November 14 to 20. The Plate division matches will be played in Dimapur until November 2, with the final scheduled for November 4.

The Women’s One Day Trophy Elite tournament will be played from December 19 to 31 in Cuttack, Jaipur, Baroda and Raipur. The knockout stage will be held in Chennai from January 4 to 10. The Plate division league matches will conclude on December 27, while the final will be played on December 29 in Kolkata.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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