NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday unveiled the schedule for the 2026-27 domestic season, confirming that the Ranji Trophy will continue to follow the two-phase format. The premier first-class tournament is set to begin on October 11, while the domestic calendar will kick off with the Duleep Trophy on August 23.The upcoming season will feature a massive 1,788 matches across multiple categories in both men’s and women’s cricket. The competitions will cover U-16, U-19, U-23 and senior tournaments in the men’s circuit, alongside U-15, U-19, U-23 and senior events in the women’s structure.In another notable change, the BCCI has decided to shift the U-23 one-day tournament and the inter-zonal university competition for the Vizzy Trophy to the T20 format in line with the evolving demands of the modern game.“The 2026-27 domestic season reflects the BCCI’s continued commitment to building a strong and competitive domestic structure while ensuring a balanced progression across formats and categories,” the board stated in release.The Duleep Trophy, which is back in zonal format, will be played between August 23 to September 10. The entire tournament will be held at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.The Irani Cup between Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir and Rest of India will be played from October 1 to 5 in Srinagar.The blue riband event of BCCI’s domestic calendar — the Ranji Trophy — will have its first phase between October 11 to November 5 in which four rounds will be held.The second phase between January 17 to March 3, 2027, will happen after the completion of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (National T20s) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (National 50-over meet).The SMAT will be held between November 14 to December 6. The four venues for the league stages are Mumbai, Mohali, Vizag and Kolkata. The knock-out stage will be held in Nagpur.The timing of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will allow the talent scouts to prepare their lists before the IPL auction which will be held sometime in December.The Vijay Hazare Trophy will be held from December 14, 2026 to January 8, 2027.A good decision taken by BCCI’s scheduling team is to have the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U16) being played from November to January, allowing for improved scheduling and player preparation.This also helps the school cricketers to prepare for their annual or board exams which are generally held in February and March. (With inouts from PTI)