New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) The upcoming 2026/27 domestic season will see the U23 men’s one‑day tournament replaced by the T20 format, while the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy winners vs Rest of India match returns to the domestic season calendar, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday.

The 2026‑27 domestic season will feature 1,788 matches across men’s and women’s cricket in multiple age‑group categories. The season will begin with the prestigious Duleep Trophy from August 23 to September 10, to be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

It is followed by the Irani Cup, starting on October 1 and likely to be played in either Jammu or Srinagar, due to Jammu & Kashmir being the current holders of the Ranji Trophy, which they won earlier this year in Hubbali.

The Ranji Trophy will continue in a two‑phase format, with the Elite Group comprising 32 teams across four groups and the Plate Group featuring six sides in the usual home-and-away format. The Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy Winners vs Rest of India fixture will return from October 1‑4, providing a platform for emerging U23 cricketers to have more red-ball cricket under their belt.

Apart from the Men’s U23 State A Trophy converted to T20s, the Vizzy Trophy will also be played from T20s, instead of being a one‑day competition. The knockout stages of the Cooch Behar Trophy (Elite Group) will be staged in Bengaluru and Mysuru to ensure competitive balance during the January window. The Vijay Merchant Trophy (U16) has been advanced to November‑January for improved scheduling and player preparation.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group league games will happen from September 27 to October 10 in Visakhapatnam, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Mohali, with knockouts to happen from October 14-25 in Nagpur. The Plate Group league phase will happen from September 27 to October 6, with knockouts to take place from October 8-10 in Dimapur.

The league phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group will be held from November 12 to December 1 in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Ranchi, and Rajkot, with knockouts to be played from December 5-17 in Visakhapatnam. The Plate Group league phase will happen from November 12-12, with knockouts to happen from November 23-25 in Indore.

The women’s domestic season will begin with the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy (Elite), set to run from October 26 to November 6 in Lucknow, Pune, New Delhi, and Mohali, with knockouts to be held from November 14‑20 in Ahmedabad, while the plate group games and knockouts will be held in Dimapur from October 26 to November 4.

The Senior Women’s One Day Trophy (Elite) is scheduled to be held from December 19‑31 in Cuttack, Jaipur, Baroda, and Raipur, followed by knockouts from January 4‑10, 2027, in Chennai.

The Senior Women’s Interzonal multi‑day competition will be played from March 13‑28, 2027, in Dehradun. At the U23 level, the Women’s T20 Trophy (Elite) will be held from November 14‑21, with knockouts from November 25‑December 1.

The U19 Women’s T20 Trophy (Elite) is slated for October 9‑16, with knockouts from October 20‑26, while the U15 Women’s One Day Trophy (Elite) will run from January 5‑13, with knockouts from January 17‑24.

“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,” further said the BCCI.

–IANS

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