Plunket Shield 2025-26: Schedule, Squads & Venues

The Plunket Shield 2025–26 will be a landmark season as New Zealand’s premier domestic first-class cricket competition celebrates its 100th edition. The tournament will begin on 18 November 2025 and will run through late March 2026. This will mark 100 years since the Shield was first played in 1906. Over the decades, the competition has evolved into a full round-robin league featuring six major associations, making it the primary tournament of New Zealand’s domestic red-ball cricket.

The format remains a single round-robin across eight rounds, with each team playing four matches before Christmas and four afterwards. As always, the Shield plays a critical role in developing future Black Caps and catches the eye of national selectors. This milestone season will feature several special celebrations, including a special logo, the announcement of an “all-time XI,” and tributes honouring players and families who have made contributions to the competition over multiple generations.

Plunket Shield 2025-26 Schedule

The Plunket Shield schedule 2025–26 features 24 matches spread across New Zealand from November 18, 2025, to March 30, 2026, with six major domestic teams: Auckland, Canterbury, Central Districts, Northern Districts, Otago, and Wellington. The matches will be played in some of the top cricket stadiums in New Zealand. The season begins with three simultaneous fixtures in Palmerston North, Wellington, and Rangiora and concludes in late March with the final round of matches in Auckland, Hamilton, and Dunedin.

Plunket Shield 2025-26 Squads

The Plunket Shield squads for the 2025-26 domestic season have been revealed. There will be some of the best cricketers in the world such as Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Daryl Mitchell, Blair Tickner, Tim Seifert and Ish Sodhi will be a part of the tournament, unless their matches don't coincide with their international duties for New Zealand.

Auckland Aces:

Bevon Jacobs, Dale Phillips, Harrish Kannan, Lachlan Stackpole, Rohit Gulati, Sean Solia, Siddhesh Dixit, Simon Keene, Cam Fletcher, Adithya Ashok, Angus Olliver, Ben Lister, Jock McKenzie, Jordan Sussex, Matthew Gibson, and Samrath Singh.

Central Stags:

Tom Bruce, Brad Schmulian, Dean Foxcroft, Doug Bracewell, Joey Field, Josh Clarkson, William Clark, Curtis Heaphy, Dane Cleaver, Ajaz Patel, Angus Schaw, Blair Tickner, Brett Randell, Jayden Lennox, Ray Toole, and Toby Findlay.

Northern Districts:

Bharat Popli, Henry Cooper, Jeet Raval, Joe Carter, Katene Clarke, Robert O'Donnell, Brett Hampton, Daryl Mitchell, Fergus Lellman, Kristian Clarke, Mitchell Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Pringle, Ben Pomare, Tim Seifert, Xavier Bell, Joshua Brown, Matthew Fisher, and Zak Gibson.

Canterbury:

Chad Bowes, Jesse Frew, Leo Carter, Matthew Boyle, Rhys Mariu, Cole McConchie, Henry Shipley, Michael Rippon, Angus McKenzie, Cameron Paul, Fraser Sheat, Ish Sodhi, Matt Rowe, Michael Rae, Scott Janett, and Sean Davey.

Wellington Firebirds:

Jesse Tashkoff, Nick Kelly, Oscar Jackson, Sam Mycock, Samuel Morgan, Tim Robinson, Logan van Beek, Nick Greenwood, Peter Younghusband, Callum McLachlan, Gareth Severin, Amogh Paranjpe, James Hartshorn, Liam Dudding, Michael Snedden, Ryan Tsourgas, and Yahya Zeb.

Otago Volts:

Jack Boyle, Jacob Cumming, Jamal Todd, Llew Johnson, Thorn Parkes, Troy Johnson, Ben Lockrose, Luke Georgeson, Matthew Bacon, Zac Cumming, Max Chu, Andrew Hazeldine, Danru Ferns, Jake Gibson, Jarrod McKay, and Mason Clarke.