Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Full Schedule, Teams, Squads & Venues

The 2025–26 Ranji Trophy is all set to kick off on October 15, 2025, marking the onset of another exciting chapter in India’s premier red-ball domestic competition. This will be the 91st edition of the tournament, and like previous seasons, it promises to be a showcase of the country’s best first-class talent with some of the best batsmen in India participating in it. A total of 38 teams will be participating, split across the Elite and Plate divisions, with a round-robin league phase followed by knockouts, leading up to the grand final on February 28, 2026.

The tournament will be held in two phases, the first running from October 15 to November 19, followed by a break for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. The action resumes in late January, with the final phase of league games from January 22 to February 1, and then the knockout rounds from February 6 to 28. In total, 138 matches will be played throughout the season, offering a lot of opportunities for players to make a mark.

Ranji Trophy Schedule 2025-26

The Ranji Trophy schedule 2025–26 is out, and the domestic tournament is set to begin on October 15, 2025, and will run until February 28, 2026, featuring 38 teams divided across four Elite groups and one Plate group. The league phase will take place in two separate windows. The first phase will run from mid-October to November 19, followed by a short break. The tournament will then resume with the second phase from January 22 to February 1, before moving into the knockout stage starting February 6.

This year, the BCCI, which is also the richest cricket board in the world, has introduced a key change to the promotion-relegation system: only one team from the Plate Group will move up to the Elite division, and just one Elite team will drop down, unlike the previous seasons, where two teams moved in both directions. The competition promises a packed domestic calendar with top players likely to feature between international assignments.

Ranji Trophy Squads 2025-26

The Ranji Trophy teams 2025-26 have not yet disclosed their squads. With the tournament just around the corner, it is expected that all squads will be out soon. So far, only Tamil Nadu has officially released its squad, making them the first to do so this season.

Narayan Jagadeesan has been appointed as the captain of Tamil Nadu for the upcoming 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season starting next month. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman recently earned his first call-up to the Indian team, being included in the squad for the fifth Test against England.

Now, he steps up to lead Tamil Nadu as their new captain. Meanwhile, Sai Kishore, who captained the side over the past two seasons, hasn’t been named in the 16-man squad due to a finger injury and is expected to miss at least the first couple of matches.

Tamil Nadu Squad for Ranji Trophy 2025-26

N. Jagadeesan (Capt, wk), Pradosh Ranjan Paul (Vice-capt.), B. Indrajith, M. Shahrukh Khan, R. Vimal Khumar, B. Sachin, C. Andre Siddarth, R.S. Ambrish, P. Vidyuth, D.T. Chandrasekar, Sandeep Warrier, Gurjapneet Singh, C.V. Achyuth, H. Trilok Nag, J. Hemchudesan, G. Ajitesh (wk).