Ranji Trophy 2025-26: The senior men’s domestic cricket season returns in full swing with the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, beginning on October 15. A total of 38 teams will compete across the country, with defending champions Vidarbha entering as the favourites after also clinching the Irani Cup earlier this month in Nagpur.
This season promises plenty of excitement with 138 matches scheduled, alongside breaks for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy, making it a packed domestic calendar.
Format of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26
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The tournament is divided into two divisions: the Elite and the Plate categories.
Elite Division: Features 32 teams split into four groups (A, B, C, D). Each team plays a single round-robin within its group. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals.
Plate Division: Comprises 6 teams in a single group. The top four advance to Plate knockouts, while remaining teams contest in playoffs to determine final rankings.
This format ensures competitive balance, giving both experienced and emerging teams a fair chance to progress.
Elite Groups and Notable Squads
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 & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Puducherry
Plate Division: Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal
Several squads have announced their first-round line-ups:
Karnataka: Mayank Agarwal (captain), Karun Nair, Shreyas Gopal, Kruthik Krishna (wk) and others.
Vidarbha: Akshay Wadkar (captain), Akshay Karnewar, Atharva Taide, Darshan Nalkande and others.
Mumbai: Shardul Thakur (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan, Siddhesh Lad, Prasad Pawar (wk) and others.
Jammu & Kashmir: Paras Dogra (captain), Rohit Sharma, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik and others.
Odisha: Subhranshu Senapati (captain), Aashirwad Swain (wk), Swastik Samal (vc) and others.
Other squads, including Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Nagaland, have also finalized their teams, featuring a mix of experienced campaigners and young talent.
First-Round Fixtures to Watch
The first round of matches will take place from October 15 to 18 at venues across India:
Uttar Pradesh vs Andhra – Green Park Stadium, Kanpur
Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand – Sri Ramakrishna College Ground, Coimbatore
Odisha vs Baroda – Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
Nagaland vs Vidarbha – BCCI COE Ground 1, Bengaluru
Kerala vs Maharashtra – Sports Hub International Cricket Stadium, Trivandrum
Goa vs Chandigarh – Goa Cricket Association Academy, Porvorim
Madhya Pradesh vs Punjab – Emerald Heights International School Ground, Indore
Saurashtra vs Karnataka – Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot
Services vs Tripura – Airforce Complex Ground, Palam, New Delhi
Gujarat vs Assam – Narendra Modi Stadium Ground ‘A’, Motera, Ahmedabad
Bengal vs Uttarakhand – Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Railways vs Haryana – C K Pithawala Ground, Surat
Pondicherry vs Himachal Pradesh – Siechem Stadium, Puducherry
Jammu & Kashmir vs Mumbai – Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, Srinagar
Rajasthan vs Chhattisgarh – Madan Paliwal Miraj Sports Centre, Rajsamand
Hyderabad vs Delhi – NexGen Cricket Ground, Hyderabad
These fixtures promise competitive cricket as teams seek strong starts to the long domestic season.
Vidarbha Eye Back-to-Back Titles
Defending champions Vidarbha, who also won the Irani Cup, will be the team to beat this season. With a well-balanced squad combining experience and young talent, they aim to retain their dominance in Indian domestic cricket.
The Ranji Trophy 2025-26 offers a platform for both rising stars and seasoned players to shine. Players like Shreyas Gopal (Karnataka), Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai), and Akshay Karnewar (Vidarbha) will be closely watched for performances that could push them into national contention.
With a packed schedule and 138 matches lined up, the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy promises to be a thrilling domestic season. Fans can expect intense competition, breakout performances from young players, and battles between seasoned campaigners as Indian cricket continues to grow in depth and talent.
