The Duleep Trophy 2026 kicks off on August 23 and runs until September 10, marking the start of India’s new domestic cricket season. This is the 63rd edition of the tournament, and it will be played entirely at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru across two grounds.
Six zonal sides Central, East, North, North East, South, and West, will battle it out in a straight knockout format, with defending champions Central Zone and runners-up South Zone walking straight into the semi-finals.
This year’s edition has already grabbed attention because of the big names involved. India Test captain Shubman Gill, senior pacer Mohammed Shami, and T20I vice-captain Tilak Varma are among the headline players expected to feature, making this tournament an important checkpoint before India’s Test tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand later in the year.
Here’s a complete breakdown of the schedule, teams, and everything else you need to know.
What Exactly Is the Duleep Trophy?
The Duleep Trophy is India’s oldest inter-zonal first-class competition, named after former India batter Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji. Unlike the Ranji Trophy, which is played state versus state, this tournament groups players by geography into six zones.
It’s traditionally used by selectors to judge how domestic players perform against tougher, mixed-zone competition often a stepping stone to India A or full international selection.
The 2026 edition marks the second consecutive year of the restored zonal format, with six regional sides competing in a knockout bracket that gives selectors an early look at red-ball form before the Test season. A detailed breakdown of all Zonal Teams of Duleep Trophy covers squad compositions, captains, and key players across Central, East, North, North East, South, and West Zone. With names like Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, and Mohammed Shami spread across zones, this edition promises to be one of the most competitive in recent years.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Full Match-by-Match Schedule
| Match | Fixture | Dates | Venue | Start Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final 1 | East Zone vs North East Zone | August 23–26 | BCCI CoE, Ground 2 | 9:30 AM IST |
| Quarter-final 2 | North Zone vs West Zone | August 23–26 | BCCI CoE, Ground 1 | 9:30 AM IST |
| Semi-final 1 | Central Zone vs Winner, QF1 | August 30–September 2 | BCCI CoE | 9:30 AM IST |
| Semi-final 2 | South Zone vs Winner, QF2 | August 30–September 2 | BCCI CoE | 9:30 AM IST |
| Final | Winner, SF1 vs Winner, SF2 | September 6–10 | BCCI CoE | 9:30 AM IST |
Both quarter-finals will run at the exact same time on separate grounds, so fans following two zones at once will need to keep an eye on both scorecards together.
Where to Watch Duleep Trophy 2026
For this edition, reports indicate that matches are expected to be streamed live on JioHotstar, with television coverage on the Star Sports network.
That said, it’s worth knowing the tournament’s recent broadcast history hasn’t always been consistent in last season’s opening quarter-finals, the BCCI only offered live scores through its official website and app, with full streaming kicking in later in the tournament.
So while JioHotstar and Star Sports are the platforms to check first, it’s a good idea to also keep the BCCI’s official site and app handy as a backup for ball-by-ball updates, especially for the early rounds.
Why Do Central Zone and South Zone Get a Direct Bye?
This comes down to last season’s results. In the 2025-26 edition, Central Zone lifted their 7th Duleep Trophy title, beating South Zone in the final.
Yash Rathod was named Player of the Match in that final, while Saransh Jain picked up 16 wickets across two matches including 8 in the final alone – to be named Player of the Tournament. Because of that finish, both teams have earned a direct semi-final berth this time, skipping the quarter-final stage entirely.
Teams and Captains for Duleep Trophy 2026
| Zone | Captain | Vice-Captain |
|---|---|---|
| Central Zone | Rajat Patidar | Rinku Singh |
| East Zone | Ishan Kishan | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi |
| South Zone | Tilak Varma | Ricky Bhui |
| West Zone | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Shams Mulani |
| North Zone | Yet to be announced | Yet to be announced |
| North East Zone | Yet to be announced | Yet to be announced |
As of the first week of August, North Zone and North East Zone squads were still awaited, though Shubman Gill has led North Zone in past editions and is widely expected to feature again this year.
Squads Worth Watching for Duleep Trophy 2026
Central Zone goes in as defending champions with Rajat Patidar leading a squad that includes Rinku Singh, wicketkeeper Aryan Juyal, and seamer Yash Thakur, who was part of last season’s winning group.
East Zone, led by Ishan Kishan, is stacked with experience – Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mohammed Shami, and Mukesh Kumar all feature, alongside 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who takes on the vice-captain’s role.
South Zone has handed the reins to Tilak Varma, fresh off India’s 3-0 T20I series win over Zimbabwe. His squad includes veteran batter Karun Nair and wicketkeeper N Jagadeesan.
West Zone, under Ruturaj Gaikwad, includes Shams Mulani as his deputy, with Prithvi Shaw and Musheer Khan also part of the group.
Why This Tournament Matters
For a lot of these players, the Duleep Trophy isn’t just another domestic game – it’s a shop window. With India’s Test tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand coming up later this year, plus the Ranji Trophy season and IPL auctions on the horizon, strong performances here can directly influence national selection.
That’s exactly why a red-ball specialist like Shami sharing a dressing room with a 15-year-old like Sooryavanshi makes for such an interesting mix this year.
Latest Update: What to Watch For Next
As things stand, four of the six squads – Central, East, South, and West Zone – have been confirmed, while North Zone and North East Zone announcements are still pending. Once those are out, the full quarter-final picture will be clear.
With five matches in total across three rounds, running from August 23 to September 10, and 9:30 AM IST as the fixed start time throughout, fans can expect nearly three straight weeks of red-ball cricket before the Ranji Trophy season begins on October 11.
Keep an eye on North Zone’s squad announcement – that’s the last big piece of the puzzle before this year’s Duleep Trophy gets underway.
