Duleep Trophy 2026

The 2026-27 Duleep Trophy will commence on August 23, 2026, and conclude with the final on September 10, 2026. The entire domestic first-class tournament will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (formerly known as the National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru. The tournament is reverting to its traditional knockout format, featuring teams from six geographical zones. Defending champions Central Zone and last year's runners-up, South Zone, have received direct entry into the semi-finals.

The Duleep Trophy marks the beginning of India's domestic red-ball season. The squads announced for the 2026-27 season feature prominent international-level players from all six zones. Players such as Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, and Mohammed Shami are part of the lineup. The tournament offers them an opportunity to showcase their red-ball form to the selectors ahead of challenging overseas Test series.

The tournament is taking place at an opportune time. Later this year, India is scheduled to tour Sri Lanka and New Zealand, where they will play four overseas Test matches. Stellar performances in Bengaluru could pave the way for selection in these squads and open doors for future opportunities in the IPL and Ranji Trophy.

What is the Duleep Trophy?

The Duleep Trophy is a first-class cricket tournament organized by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). It features the country's finest domestic players, offering them the opportunity to compete against strong teams before advancing to higher levels of the sport.

Unlike many domestic tournaments where players represent their respective state teams, the Duleep Trophy has traditionally followed a zonal structure. Over time, to meet the evolving needs of Indian domestic cricket, the competition has also adopted formats featuring teams such as India A, India B, India C, and India D.

To this day, the tournament remains a vital part of the domestic cricket calendar, showcasing players who possess the potential to succeed in the longest format of the game.

Traditional Zonal Teams

Team	Region Represented
Central Zone	Central India
East Zone	Eastern India
North Zone	Northern India
North East Zone	North Eastern India
South Zone	Southern India
West Zone	Western India

Duleep Trophy Winners List

Team	Titles
West Zone	19
North Zone	18
South Zone	14
Central Zone	6
East Zone	2
India Blue	2
India Red	2
Elite Group C	1

Most runs in Duleep Trophy

Player	Zone	Matches	Runs
Wasim Jaffer	West Zone	30	2545
Vikram Rathour	North Zone	25	2265
Anshuman Gaekwad	West Zone	26	2004
Ajay Sharma	North Zone	26	1961
Aakash Chopra	Central Zone/North Zone	24	1918

Most wickets in Duleep Trophy

Player	Zone	Matches	Wickets
Narendra Hirwani	Central Zone	29	126
Sairaj Bahutule	West Zone	30	112
BS Chandrasekhar	South Zone	24	99
S Venkataraghavan	South Zone	26	95
EAS Prasanna	South Zone	24	83

Where to watch the 2026 Duleep Trophy

You can watch the live stream of the 2026–27 Duleep Trophy online on the JioCinema app and website. For TV viewers in India, the tournament will be broadcast live on Sports18 network channels. Under the BCCI's domestic cricket media rights agreement, Sports18 and JioCinema are the exclusive broadcast partners for all Indian domestic tournaments.