Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season begins with India stars in action
The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season begins Sunday with India Test players featuring across multiple venues in the opening round.
The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season starts on Sunday with 19 matches scheduled across the country. Defending champions Jammu and Kashmir will face Madhya Pradesh in Srinagar while Karnataka take on Andhra in Mulapadu. India Test regulars including Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are set to feature in the opening round.
Mohammed Siraj will lead Hyderabad for the first time in the competition against Tripura. Mumbai will face Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium with Jaiswal expected to keep wickets in the match. Delhi take on Bengal in Kalyani with new coach Vijay Dahiya and mentor Rajkumar Sharma in charge.
The tournament will be played in five phases and conclude with the final on February 27, 2027. Most matches start at 9:30 AM IST with live streaming on JioHotstar and telecast on Star Sports Network.
CricHubb Take
The presence of so many India regulars in the opening round reflects the selectors' push for red-ball exposure ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia next year. Yet the staggered availability of players across the season risks fragmenting team combinations and undermining the very consistency the board claims to seek.