India’s domestic white-ball season is about to begin, and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy opens this week. The tournament is a key scouting ground before the IPL auction, and it is followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Here are the dates and venues.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 dates
The national T20 championship runs from 14 November to 6 December 2026. The Elite league stage is played from 14 to 26 November across Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Mohali. The knockouts follow from 30 November to 6 December in Nagpur. The Plate group is played in Dimapur.
Why it matters for the IPL
The tournament finishes just before the IPL auction on 16 December in Goa, which gives franchise scouts time to assess new talent. Our guide to the IPL 2027 auction explains the key dates for retentions and registrations.
Vijay Hazare Trophy dates
The 50-over championship follows from 14 December to 8 January 2027. The Elite league stage is played from 14 to 29 December in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Ranchi and Rajkot. The knockouts are from 2 to 8 January in Visakhapatnam.
The rest of the domestic calendar
The Ranji Trophy is played in two phases. The first phase ran from 11 October to 5 November, and the second phase returns from 17 January 2027 after the white-ball events. The season is made up of 1,788 matches across men’s, women’s and age-group cricket.
Women’s domestic events
The Senior Women’s T20 Trophy knockouts were scheduled for 14 to 20 November in Ahmedabad. The Women’s One Day Trophy Elite league stage runs from 19 to 31 December in Cuttack, Jaipur, Baroda and Raipur, with knockouts from 4 to 10 January in Chennai.
Why domestic cricket is worth following
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is widely seen as India’s biggest T20 talent factory, and strong performances often lead to IPL contracts. The Vijay Hazare Trophy helps selectors identify players for the 50-over format. Because the league stage is spread across four cities, fixtures can overlap on the same day, so check the schedule for your state team.
Where to watch
A broadcast partner for the domestic matches was not confirmed in the sources we found. Check the BCCI Domestic channels and the official listings for live streams and scores. Following the live score on a cricket app is a simple way to keep track of several matches at once.
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