New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday unveiled the schedule for the 2026-27 domestic season, confirming the… ranji trophy The two-phase format will continue to be followed. The major first-class tournament is scheduled to begin on October 11, while the domestic calendar will begin with the Duleep Trophy on August 23.The upcoming season will feature 1,788 matches across multiple categories in both men’s and women’s cricket. The competitions will include Under-16, Under-19, Under-23 and Senior tournaments in the men’s circuit as well as Under-15, Under-19, Under-23 and Senior tournaments in the women’s circuit.In another notable change, the BCCI has decided to shift the Under-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 BCCI’s continued commitment to building a strong and competitive domestic structure while ensuring balanced progress across all formats and categories,” the board said in the release.The Duleep Trophy, which has returned to the zonal format, will be played between August 23 and September 10. The entire tournament will be held at BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.The Irani Cup between Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir and Rest of India will be played in Srinagar from October 1 to 5.The first phase of the Ranji Trophy, the blue ribbon event of the BCCI’s domestic calendar, will be held from October 11 to November 5 with four rounds being held.The second phase will take place between January 17 and March 3, 2027, after the completion of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (National T20) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (National 50-over meet).SMAT will be conducted between November 14 and December 6. The four venues for the league stage are Mumbai, Mohali, Vizag and Kolkata. The knock-out stage will be held in Nagpur.The timing of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will allow talent scouts to prepare their lists ahead of the IPL auction which will be held sometime in December.Vijay Hazare Trophy will be held from 14 December 2026 to 8 January 2027.A good decision taken by the BCCI scheduling team is to play the Vijay Merchant Trophy (U16) from November to January, thereby improving the scheduling and preparation of the players.It also helps school cricketers prepare for their annual or board examinations which are generally held in February and March. (With inputs from PTI)