Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be one of three Rajasthan Royals players in action in the Duleep Trophy 2026, which is scheduled to run from August 23 to September 10.
The quarter-finals and semis will be played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Grounds in Bengaluru, while the final will be staged at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
All Duleep Trophy 2026 cricket matches will start at 9:30 AM Indian Standard Time (IST) and will be available to watch live.
Established in 1961-62 and named after former Indian cricket icon Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji, the upcoming Duleep Trophy is the 63rd edition of the zonal first-class tournament.
North Zone, South Zone, East Zone, West Zone, Central Zone and North East Zone are the six teams competing in the tournament.
Duleep Trophy matches last for four days with the exception of the final, which is played over five. A total of five matches, including the final, will be played.
The prodigious Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will be the cynosure of all eyes in the upcoming edition of the Duleep Trophy.
The 15-year-old will be looking to leave his mark in red-ball cricket having taken the cricketing world by storm over the past year.
Named vice-captain to Ishan Kishan in the East Zone squad, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi enjoyed a brilliant IPL 2026 campaign with the Royals, finishing as the competition’s youngest-ever Orange Cap winner.
He made his T20I debut against England last month, becoming the youngest-ever Indian to play international cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
In only his second T20I series, the young left-hander emerged as the top scorer overall as India swept Zimbabwe 3-0 away.
The teenager scored two fifties in three matches - his 50 off 19 in the first game making him the youngest player to ever score a half-century in men’s international cricket. He ended the series with a score of 81 off 49 at Harare.
Vaibhav will now be looking to stamp his authority in red-ball cricket on the domestic circuit and heads into the tournament having managed 207 runs in 12 innings at an average of 17.25 across eight first-class matches, with a best of 93.
The 15-year-old’s East Zone team will start their Duleep Trophy 2026 campaign against North East Zone in the quarter-finals from July 23.
Two more Royals, Tushar Deshpande of West Zone and Yudhvir Singh of North Zone, will square off in the other quarter-final, starting on the same day.
The winner of the quarter-final between East Zone and North East Zone will progress to the semi-final, where they will meet Central Zone.
Meanwhile, the winner of the quarter-final between West Zone and North Zone will take on South Zone in the semis. Both semi-finals will begin on August 30.
Central Zone are the defending champions of the Duleep Trophy, while West Zone are the most successful team in the history of the tournament.
Where to watch Duleep Trophy 2026 live in India
Live streaming of the Duleep Trophy 2026 cricket tournament will be available on JioHotstar. The Duleep Trophy will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network TV channel in India.
Duleep Trophy 2026 schedule
As per Indian Standard Times (IST)
Stage | Match | Dates | Venue | Start Time |
Quarter-final 1 | East Zone vs North East Zone | August 23-26 | BCCI COE Ground 2, Bengaluru | 9:30 AM |
Quarter-final 2 | North Zone vs West Zone | August 23-26 | BCCI COE Ground 1, Bengaluru | 9:30 AM |
Semi-final 1 | Central Zone vs Quarter-final 1 winner | August 30-September 2 | BCCI COE Ground 1, Bengaluru | 9:30 AM |
Semi-final 2 | South Zone vs Quarter-final 2 winner | August 30-September 2 | BCCI COE Ground 2, Bengaluru | 9:30 AM |
Final | Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner | September 6-10 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 9:30 AM |
