The Duleep Trophy returns later this month to kick off India’s 2026-27 domestic season, bringing together some of the country’s best red-ball cricketers in a tournament that has long served as a pathway to the national Test side.
With several India internationals, emerging stars and fringe Test hopefuls in action, the competition is once again expected to play a significant role in shaping India’s red-ball depth ahead of a busy international calendar.
What is the Duleep Trophy?
The Duleep Trophy is India’s premier inter-zonal first-class tournament.
Introduced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the 1961-62 season, the competition is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar, one of India’s pioneering cricketers.
Played in the traditional red-ball format, the tournament has historically featured six zonal teams-North, South, East, West, Central and North East-with selectors using it as a platform to assess players against stronger opposition than the Ranji Trophy often provides.
Over the years, several Indian internationals, including Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin, have featured in the competition before establishing themselves at the highest level.
What is the format for the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy?
The 2026-27 edition will feature six zonal teams competing in a knockout format.
Central Zone and South Zone have received direct entry into the semi-finals after reaching last season’s final.
East Zone, North East Zone, North Zone and West Zone will begin from the quarter-finals.
All matches will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Duleep Trophy 2026-27 schedule
The tournament begins on August 23 with two quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals (August 23-26)
- East Zone vs North East Zone (CoE 2)
- North Zone vs West Zone (CoE 1)
Semi-finals (August 30-September 2)
- Central Zone vs East Zone/North East Zone winner
- South Zone vs North Zone/West Zone winner
Final (September 6-10)
- Winners of the two semi-finals
Squads announced so far
Several zones have already confirmed their squads, with a blend of established internationals and emerging domestic performers.
East Zone
Ishan Kishan will captain East Zone, while teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain despite limited first-class experience.
The squad also includes Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, giving East one of the strongest pace attacks in the tournament. Abhimanyu Easwaran is expected to open the batting, while Kumar Kushagra provides another wicketkeeping option.
Central Zone
Defending champions Central Zone will once again be led by Rajat Patidar.
Rinku Singh has been appointed vice-captain, while India internationals Harsh Dubey, Yash Thakur and Saransh Jain strengthen a squad aiming to retain the title.
Young openers Aman Mokhade and Ayush Pandey also earned selection after impressive Ranji Trophy campaigns.
South Zone
Tilak Varma has been handed the captaincy of South Zone, with Ricky Bhui serving as vice-captain.
The batting unit includes Karun Nair, N Jagadeesan and SK Rasheed, while experienced all-rounders Shreyas Gopal and T Thyagarajan add balance.
South Zone will enter the competition directly in the semi-finals after finishing runners-up in the previous edition.
Players to watch
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The teenage batting prodigy has already made headlines in white-ball cricket, but the Duleep Trophy will provide his biggest examination in first-class cricket.
Named East Zone vice-captain, the tournament offers an opportunity to strengthen his credentials for future India A and Test opportunities.
Mohammed Shami
After an encouraging domestic season, Shami returns to competitive red-ball cricket as East Zone’s pace spearhead.
Strong performances could reinforce his place in India’s long-term Test plans.
Rajat Patidar
Having guided Central Zone to last year’s title, Patidar returns looking to defend the trophy while continuing to push his case in India’s middle-order discussions.
Tilak Varma
Already established in India’s white-ball setup, Tilak now has another opportunity to underline his credentials in the longer format as South Zone captain.
Why the Duleep Trophy still matters
Although the IPL dominates India’s domestic calendar commercially, the Duleep Trophy remains one of the country’s most significant first-class tournaments.
Unlike the Ranji Trophy, where players compete for their state associations, the Duleep Trophy brings together the best performers from across regions, creating stronger squads and higher-quality contests.
For established internationals returning from injury, fringe Test players seeking another opportunity and emerging domestic stars hoping to impress selectors, the tournament often provides an important bridge between domestic cricket and the Indian national team.
With India’s Test calendar becoming increasingly competitive, performances in this year’s Duleep Trophy could play a key role in shaping future India A tours and national selection discussions.
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