BCCI reveal schedule for Indian domestic season 2025-26; make key structural changes

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have revealed the schedule for Indian domestic season 2025-26, which will begin with the Duleep Trophy on August 28, 2025 and culminate with the Senior Women's Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy on April 3, 2026. Apart from confirming the schedule of the Indian domestic season, there have been a few key changes in the structure of some of the tournaments made by the BCCI for the 2025-26 season.

As per the report published in Cricbuzz, the Duleep Trophy will now be played with zonal teams and the players getting picked by zonal selectors rather than putting together India A, B, C, D teams from last year for the tournament. The Ranji Trophy will have only one team getting promoted or relegated from the Plate and Elite Groups respectively in the 2025-26 season, adding incentive to any decent performances at any stage of the tournament.

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played under a Super League

The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) will be played under a Super League rather than knockout stage matches, wherein eight teams making it to the next round from the group stage will get divided into four teams of two groups playing each other once. The two top teams from these two groups will contest the final to crown India’s new domestic T20 champion in the upcoming 2025-26 season, while at the same time, these changes will be applicable on the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy as well.

Meanwhile, the Vijay Hazare Trophy will have four Elite Groups and a Plate Group instead of three groups of eight teams and two groups of seven teams after they are going to be ranked as per the points, wins, and NRR from recent seasons.

Below are some of the key tournament start and end dates for the 2025-26 Indian domestic season: