Ranji Trophy from October 11; The Duleep Trophy will begin its domestic season on August 23

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday unveiled the schedule for the 2026-27 domestic season and confirmed that the Ranji Trophy will continue to be played in a two-stage format. The premier first-class tournament is set to begin on October 11, with the Duleep Trophy kicking off the domestic calendar on August 23.The upcoming season will feature a massive 1,788 matches across categories in both men’s and women’s cricket. The competitions will cover U-16, U-19, U-23 and senior tournaments in the men’s circuit, in addition to U-15, U-19, U-23 and seniors in the women’s structure.Another significant change is that the BCCI has decided to shift the U-23 one-day tournament and the inter-zonal university competition for the Vizzy Trophy to the T20 format in line with the evolving demands of the modern game.“The 2026-27 domestic season reflects the BCCI’s continued commitment to building a strong and competitive domestic structure while ensuring a balanced progression across formats and categories,” the board said in a release.The Duleep Trophy, which is back in the zonal format, will be played from August 23 to September 10. The entire tournament will be held at BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.The Irani Cup between Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir and Rest of India will be played from October 1 to 5 in Srinagar.The blue ribbon event of the BCCI’s domestic calendar — the Ranji Trophy — will have its first phase between October 11 and November 5, which will see four rounds.The second phase between 17 January and 3 March 2027 will take place after the completion of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (National T20s) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (National 50-over meet).The SMAT will be held from November 14 to December 6. The four venues for the league stages are Mumbai, Mohali, Vizag and Kolkata. The knockout stage will be held in Nagpur.The timing of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will allow talent scouts to prepare their rosters ahead of the IPL auction sometime in December.Vijay Hazare Trophy will be held from 14 December 2026 to 8 January 2027.It is a good decision by the BCCI planning team that the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U16) will be played from November to January which will allow for better planning and preparation of the players.It also helps the school cricketers to prepare for the annual or board exams which are usually held in February and March. (With inouts from PTI)