BCCI unveils domestic calendar: 2025-26 season starts on August 28; India vs New Zealand 2026 series venues announced
NEW DELHI: The
BCCI
confirmed the venues for India's white-ball home series against New Zealand in January 2026 during its 28th Apex Council Meeting held on Saturday. The series will include three ODIs and five T20Is.
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The ODI matches will be played in Baroda, Rajkot and Indore, while the T20Is will take place in Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Vizag and Trivandrum. The series will mark India's first international assignment of the calendar year and is expected to serve as crucial preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India vs New Zealand Schedule:
Alongside the international fixture announcements, the BCCI also approved the 2025–26 domestic calendar, which will kick off with the Duleep Trophy on August 28, 2025, and conclude with the Senior Women's Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy on April 3, 2026.
Key Highlights from Domestic Season 2025–26:
The Duleep Trophy and Senior Women's Challenger will now feature six zonal teams selected by zonal selectors, aligning with historical traditions.
A new Plate Group restructuring has been introduced across all age categories. The bottom six teams from the previous season will compete in the Plate Group.
Promotion and relegation rules have been updated, with only one team moving between Elite and Plate Groups in each season.
The
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
(men's T20) and the Senior Women's T20 Trophy will now feature a Super League stage instead of a straight knockout, to allow more balanced competition.
Most major tournaments, such as the Vijay Hazare Trophy and Men's U23 State A Trophy, will adopt a 4 Elite + 1 Plate Group model. Junior and women's tournaments across U16, U19, and U23 will follow a 5 Elite + 1 Plate Group system.
Lobo Predicted It, Again: South Africa's Historic WTC Win vs Australia
These sweeping changes are designed to increase competitiveness, streamline tournament formats, and promote balanced talent development across Indian domestic cricket.
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