From Ranji Trophy To Vijay Hazare Trophy: India Domestic Cricket Full Schedule 2025–26

BCCI announce Domestic cricket season (Source:@JayShah,x.com)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially released the full schedule for the 2025–26 domestic season, which will feature traditional competitions such as the Duleep Trophy, Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, along with important format changes and structural adjustments. 

The senior men’s domestic calendar kicks off with the Duleep Trophy, scheduled from August 28 to September 15, 2025, with the final set to be played at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Following it is the Irani Cup, which pits the Ranji Trophy champions against the Rest of India. This year’s contest will be held in Nagpur from October 1 to 5. 

Ranji Trophy To Continue Two-Phase Format

India’s premier first-class competition, the Ranji Trophy, will retain the split-phase format seen in recent editions:

• Phase 1 (Elite & Plate Group Leagues): October 15 – November 19, 2025
• Phase 2: January 22 – February 1, 2026
• Knockout Stage: February 6 – February 28, 2026
• Plate Knockouts: January 22 – January 26, 2026

Ranji Trophy Groups For 2025-26 season

• Elite A: Tamil Nadu, Baroda, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra, Nagaland
• Elite B: Saurashtra, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Goa
• Elite C: Gujarat, Haryana, Services, Bengal, Railways, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Assam
• Elite D: Mumbai, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry
• Plate: Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Introduces New Format

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) will begin its league phase from November 26 to December 8, with matches in Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata. In a major change, SMAT will now feature a Super League stage instead of a traditional knockout format. The Super League and final stages will be hosted in Indore from December 12 to 18. 

Vijay Hazare Trophy Schedule

The Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s domestic 50-over competition, will see structural changes in the group stages. The tournament will adopt a 4 Elite Groups + 1 Plate Group format. 

• League Stage: December 24, 2025 – January 8, 2026 in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur, and Bangalore
• Knockouts: January 12 – 18, 2026 at the Centre of Excellence

BCCI Domestic Calendar 2025-26

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