Duleep Trophy 2026-27: Full Schedule, Squads, Venues, and Broadcast Details Announced
The 2026-27 edition of the Duleep Trophy is set to launch India’s domestic cricket season, introducing a full schedule of red-ball fixtures along with confirmed team rosters, venues, and television and digital broadcast arrangements.
What Happened
The domestic calendar begins with the multi-day red-ball tournament featuring six zonal teams: Central Zone, South Zone, West Zone, North Zone, East Zone, and North East Zone. Defending champions Central Zone, who secured the title in the 2025 edition under the leadership of Rajat Patidar, enter the tournament seeking to retain the trophy following a campaign that culminated in a victory over runners-up South Zone.
The upcoming tournament structure schedules two quarter-finals in Bengaluru starting August 23, 2026. Central Zone and South Zone hold seeded berths in the semi-finals beginning August 30, with the grand finale slated to take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 6 to September 10, 2026.
Key Highlights
- Tournament Opener: India’s 2026-27 domestic season officially gets underway with the Duleep Trophy.
- Defending Champions: Central Zone won the 2025 competition after overcoming North East Zone in the quarter-finals, advancing past the Shardul Thakur-led West Zone on a first-innings lead in the semi-finals, and beating South Zone in the final.
- 2025 Top Performers: Rajat Patidar topped the run charts in the previous edition with 382 runs in five innings (average 76.40). Central Zone batters Yash Rathod (374 runs) and Danish Malewar (352 runs) followed. Off-spinner Saransh Jain took 16 wickets across two matches at an average of 24.00, earning Player of the Match in the final and Player of the Series honors. Gurjapneet Singh and Harsh Dubey each captured 10 wickets.
- Match Timings and Venues: All games are scheduled to start at 9:30 AM IST. Quarter-finals and semi-finals will be hosted at Centre of Excellence Grounds 1 and 2 in Bengaluru, while Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium hosts the final.
- Broadcast and Streaming: Live streaming is confirmed on the JioHotstar app and website, while linear television coverage will air across JioStar Network Channels.
Why This Matters
The Duleep Trophy serves as the official opening tournament of India’s 2026-27 domestic cricket calendar. The competition brings together prominent state and international players across six regional zones to compete in red-ball conditions, setting the benchmark for the domestic season ahead.
What to Watch Next
The tournament begins on August 23, 2026, with two simultaneous quarter-final fixtures in Bengaluru: East Zone versus North-East Zone at Centre of Excellence Ground 2, and North Zone taking on West Zone at Centre of Excellence Ground 1. Semi-final matches will follow from August 30 to September 2, 2026, featuring Central Zone and South Zone against the quarter-final winners, leading to the five-day final in Chennai starting September 6, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Duleep Trophy 2026 begin?
The tournament begins on August 23, 2026, with the opening quarter-final fixtures in Bengaluru, and runs through the final ending on September 10, 2026.
Where will the Duleep Trophy matches be played?
The quarter-final and semi-final encounters will take place at the Centre of Excellence Ground 1 and Ground 2 in Bengaluru. The final will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Who are the team captains for the 2026 edition?
The announced captains are Rajat Patidar (Central Zone), Tilak Varma (South Zone), Ruturaj Gaikwad (West Zone), Kanhaiya Wadhawan (North Zone), Ishan Kishan (East Zone), and Jonathan Rongsen (North East Zone).
Where can viewers watch the tournament live?
Matches will be live-streamed online via the JioHotstar mobile app and website, with television broadcasting available on JioStar Network Channels.
Source: CricTracker