The 2026–27 Ranji Trophy, India’s premier first-class cricket tournament, begins on Sunday, 11 October 2026, the Hindustan Times reported.
Quick Facts
| Start date | 11 October 2026 |
| Teams | 38 |
| Matches | 138 in all; 19 in the first round |
| Defending champions | Jammu and Kashmir |
Key First-Round Fixtures
- Jammu and Kashmir v Madhya Pradesh: the champions begin a week after losing the Irani Cup in Srinagar
- Delhi v Bengal: Delhi have a new head coach, Vijay Dahiya, and a new mentor, Rajkumar Sharma, the childhood coach of Virat Kohli
- Mumbai v Chandigarh: at the Wankhede Stadium
India Players in Action
Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammed Shami are all due to play for their state teams.
The round matters for them. India have a two-Test series in New Zealand coming up, in which Rahul, Siraj and Jaiswal are expected to play key roles.
Jaiswal has also been practising wicketkeeping with Mumbai, in an effort to win a place in India’s white-ball teams.
One Match in Doubt
Arunachal Pradesh may have to forfeit their match against Nagaland because of a legal dispute between two factions of the Arunachal Cricket Association.
A Long Season
With 138 matches, the tournament is a test of consistency and squad depth for every team.
Source: Hindustan Times (10 October 2026).
Featured image: Jammu and Kashmir’s Auqib Nabi bowling in a Ranji Trophy match in Shillong, November 2024 (file photo). Photo by Tungtap, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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