Six franchises feature in the Vidarbha Premier League (VPL) 2026: NECO Master Blaster, Pagariya Strikers, Bharat Rangers, India Warriors, Nagpur Heroz, and Orange Tigers.
Moreover, the second season of the VCA T20 league runs from 1 to 14 June 2026 at the VCA Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur. Furthermore, defending champions NECO Master Blaster, led by Jitesh Sharma, kick off the campaign against last year’s finalists Pagariya Strikers.
Additionally, this guide breaks down every team, its captain, retained stars, and complete squad. So, here’s everything you need to know before the action begins.
VPL 2026 Teams at a Glance
Before diving into individual squads, here’s a quick snapshot of all six VPL 2026 franchises, their captains, and how they finished in the inaugural 2025 edition.
| NECO Master Blaster | Jitesh Sharma | Champions | Harsh Dubey |
| Pagariya Strikers | Yash Kadam | Runners-up | Lalit Yadav |
| Bharat Rangers | Atharva Taide | League Stage | Danish Malewar |
| India Warriors | Akshay Wadkar | League Stage | Darshan Nalkande |
| Nagpur Heroz | Yash Thakur | League Stage | Umesh Yadav |
| Orange Tigers | Akshay Karnewar | League Stage | Yash Rathod |
1. NECO Master Blaster
NECO Master Blaster enter VPL 2026 as defending champions after beating Pagariya Strikers by 7 wickets in the 2025 final. Moreover, the side is captained by India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, although vice-captain Adhyayan Daga leads the opener while Sharma finishes his IPL 2026 final duties for RCB. Notably, Harsh Dubey also misses the start because of India’s Afghanistan series call-up.
Key Players & Strengths
- Jitesh Sharma (C, WK) – explosive finisher and India T20I keeper
- Harsh Dubey – left-arm spinner currently with India’s squad
- Adhyayan Daga, Aryan Meshram, Shanmesh Deshmukh – top-order depth
- Tagline ‘Jazba Jeet Ka’ sets the fearless tone the franchise carries into the title defence
NECO Master Blaster Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Jitesh Sharma (C, WK) | Adhyayan Daga | Aryan Meshram |
| Shanmesh Deshmukh | Ananmay Jayaswal | Vedant Dighade |
| Vaibhav Chandekar | Abhishek Gupta | Shantanu Rajput |
| Dipesh Parwani | Harsh Dubey | Avinash Jadhav |
| Arya Durugkar | Gaurav Dhoble | Gaurav Farde |
| Kush Khandelwal |
2. Pagariya Strikers
Pagariya Strikers finished as runners-up in 2025 and return with a sharper unit. Furthermore, all-rounder Yash Kadam captains the side, while last edition’s top wicket-taker Lalit Yadav (13 wickets) continues to spearhead the attack. Additionally, the squad features Ravikumar Samarth and Mohd Faiz, giving them serious top-order firepower.
Key Players & Strengths
- Yash Kadam (C) – all-rounder leading the franchise
- Lalit Yadav – VPL 2025’s leading wicket-taker
- R Samarth – already topped early VPL 2026 run charts with 101 runs
- Mohd Faiz Sheikh and Shivam Deshmukh add batting depth in the middle order
Pagariya Strikers Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Yash Kadam (C) | Lalit Yadav | Sooraj Rai |
| Pushpak Gujar | Mohd Faiz Sheikh | Aditya Ahuja |
| R Sanjay | R Samarth | Shivam Deshmukh |
| Virendra Patel | Kaustubh Salve | Sanskar Chavate |
| Updesh Rajput | Dhruv Pise | Laksh Sangar |
| Jasvindrasingh Tak |
3. Bharat Rangers
Bharat Rangers bring genuine IPL pedigree through Atharva Taide, the left-handed Vidarbha opener with stints at Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Moreover, the franchise also retains 2025’s leading run-scorer Danish Malewar (120 runs), which gives the top order serious weight.
Key Players & Strengths
- Atharva Taide – left-handed opener with IPL experience
- Danish Malewar – VPL 2025 top run-scorer
- Mandar Ghodmare, Aditya Sarvate – experienced Vidarbha all-rounders
- Hrusikesh Pawar and Aniket Pande strengthen the seam attack
Bharat Rangers Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Atharva Taide | Shubham Kapse | Manan Agrawal |
| Danish Malewar | Varun Bist | Nachiket Bhute |
| Hrusikesh Pawar | Aditya Sarvate | Jagjot Sasan |
| Varun Palandurkar | Aniket Pande | Sanyog Bhagwat |
| Vedant Jajoo | Rohit Dattaraya | Mandar Ghodmare |
| Kunal Kungwani |
4. India Warriors
India Warriors parade a Vidarbha-heavy core with Akshay Wadkar behind the stumps and as captain. Additionally, pacer Darshan Nalkande – a Gujarat Titans IPL alum – leads the bowling attack. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kunal Nagar was one of the auction’s biggest surprises at ₹6.00 lakh.
Key Players & Strengths
- Akshay Wadkar (C, WK) — Ranji-winning Vidarbha captain
- Darshan Nalkande – IPL-experienced fast bowler
- Shubham Dubey – power-hitting middle-order option
- Praful Hinge and Vaibhav Lande – domestic regulars adding consistency
India Warriors Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Akshay Wadkar (C, WK) | Shubham Dubey | Satyam Bhoyar |
| Rahul Dongarwar | Sahil Sheikh | Darshan Nalkande |
| Kunal Nagar | Vaibhav Lande | Praful Hinge |
| Gurdeep Singh Sodhi | Abhishek Agrawal | Ashit Singh |
| Shree Choudhary | Alok Wadkar | Sabbamitta Gavai |
| Aayush Kumar |
5. Nagpur Heroz
Nagpur Heroz parade arguably the most star-studded pace attack in the tournament. Notably, former India seamer Umesh Yadav and rising international Yash Thakur lead the bowling unit. Furthermore, the side also features experienced campaigner Rajneesh Gurbani, making it a nightmare match-up for opposition top orders.
Key Players & Strengths
- Yash Thakur – India and LSG fast bowler
- Umesh Yadav – veteran India pacer
- Siddhesh Wath – versatile top-order batter
- Iknoor Singh Bhamra and Rajneesh Gurbani round out a deep bowling roster
Nagpur Heroz Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Siddhesh Wath | Yash Thakur | Parth Rekhade |
| Aman Mokhade | Tejas Soni | Apoorv Wankhade |
| Rajneesh Gurbani | Umesh Yadav | Ankush Tammiwar |
| Akash Kombe | Tushar Suryavanshi | Iknoor Singh Bhamra |
| Rishab Borkar | Kartik Rathod | Sandesh Durugwar |
| Siddhant Muley |
6. Orange Tigers
Orange Tigers lean on a spin-heavy approach led by left-arm tweaker Akshay Karnewar, the rare ambidextrous bowler in Indian domestic cricket. Additionally, Vidarbha middle-order mainstay Yash Rathod anchors the batting, while Delhi import Dhruv Shorey adds Ranji Trophy class to the top three.
Key Players & Strengths
- Akshay Karnewar (C) – left-arm spinner and Vidarbha veteran
- Yash Rathod – Ranji Trophy-winning middle-order batter
- Dhruv Shorey – former India A and Delhi batter
- Saurabh Dubey and Kshitiz Dahiya – promising young all-rounders
Orange Tigers Full Squad
| Player | Player | Player |
|---|---|---|
| Akshay Karnewar (C) | Saurabh Dubey | Kshitiz Dahiya |
| Yash Rathod | Rohit Binkar | Vishesh Ram Tiwari |
| Dhruv Shorey | Mandar Mahale | Shantanu Chikhale |
| Akshay Dullarwar | Arjun Harish Inghle | Addhyan Rauthan |
| Akshay G Agarwal | Hardik Verma | Atharva Podutwar |
| Shreyash Padole |
VPL 2026 Tournament Format & Venue
All matches are played at the VCA Jamtha International Stadium, Nagpur, with the men’s competition running 1–14 June 2026.
Moreover, the six teams play a double round-robin (21 league games), and the top four progress to the playoffs featuring an Eliminator, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2 and Final on 14 June. Additionally, the tournament telecasts live on Sony Sports Network (TEN 5) and streams on JioHotstar.
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Conclusion: A Competitive Six-Team Battle Awaits in VPL 2026
Ultimately, VPL 2026 sets up a fascinating six-way scrap: NECO Master Blaster defend the crown with Jitesh Sharma’s leadership, while Pagariya Strikers chase the title they narrowly missed.
Meanwhile, Nagpur Heroz boast the most lethal pace pack, Bharat Rangers ride IPL stars, and Orange Tigers and India Warriors back Vidarbha’s deep domestic core. So, expect tight, high-quality T20 cricket across 25 matches in Nagpur.
