The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27 is set to begin on November 14, 2026, with 38 domestic teams competing across the Elite and Plate divisions. Organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), India’s premier domestic T20 tournament will feature several leading domestic cricketers, established international players and emerging talents.
The Elite league stage will run from November 14 to 26, followed by the Super League from November 30 to December 4. The Elite final is scheduled for December 6 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur. Meanwhile, the Plate competition will conclude with its final on November 24.
Jharkhand will enter the new season as defending champions after defeating Haryana by 69 runs in the 2025-26 final. Several state associations have also announced their squads and captains, including Suryakumar Yadav for Mumbai, Sanju Samson for Kerala and R. Sai Kishore for Tamil Nadu.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Tournament Schedule
The 2026-27 edition will be played across two divisions, Elite and Plate. The Elite competition features 32 teams divided into four groups of eight, while six teams will compete in the Plate division.
Here are the important dates for the upcoming tournament:
| Tournament Stage | Schedule |
| Elite and Plate League Begins | November 14, 2026 |
| Plate League Ends | November 22, 2026 |
| Plate Final | November 24, 2026 |
| Elite League Ends | November 26, 2026 |
| Elite Super League Begins | November 30, 2026 |
| Super League Ends | December 4, 2026 |
| Elite Final | December 6, 2026 |
The Elite league matches will take place in Mumbai, Indore, Mohali/New Chandigarh and Kolkata. Nagpur will host the Super League matches and the Elite final.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Elite Groups and Teams
A total of 32 teams will participate in the Elite division. They have been divided into four groups of eight teams each.
Group A: Baroda, Bengal, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Group B: Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Group C: Andhra, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Tripura.
Group D: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Vidarbha.
Each team will play seven league matches against the other teams in its group. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super League.
Group B features several competitive domestic sides, including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra. Their performances could make the race for the next stage particularly interesting.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Plate Teams
The Plate division will feature six teams competing in a single group.
The participating teams are:
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
- Services
- Sikkim
Each team will play five league matches against the other sides in the group. The top two teams will advance to the Plate final, scheduled for November 24, 2026.
The Plate competition will be hosted in Nagaland, with the Nagaland Cricket Stadium and Sovima Cricket Ground listed among its venues. The six teams will play 15 league matches before the two finalists compete for the Plate title.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Tournament Format
The BCCI will follow a group-based format for both Elite and Plate competitions.
In the Elite division, 32 teams will be divided into four groups of eight. Every team will play seven league matches, with the top two sides from each group qualifying for the Super League.
The eight qualified teams will then be divided into two Super League groups of four. Each team will play three matches in this stage.
There will be no separate semi-finals. Instead, the winners of the two Super League groups will qualify directly for the Elite final on December 6.
The Plate division will have a separate six-team league. Its top two teams will compete in the Plate final on November 24.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Venues
Source Image: Olympics
The tournament will be hosted across several cricket centres in India.
The Elite league stage will use the following venues:
| City | Grounds |
| Mumbai | Wankhede Stadium and MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, BKC |
| Indore | Holkar Stadium and The Daly College |
| Mohali/New Chandigarh | IS Bindra Stadium and PCA International Cricket Stadium |
| Kolkata | Eden Gardens and JU Second Campus, Salt Lake |
The Plate division will be played at the Nagaland Cricket Stadium and Sovima Cricket Ground in Nagaland.
Nagpur will host the Super League matches at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha and the VCA Stadium in Civil Lines. The Elite final will take place at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Opening Day Fixtures
The tournament will begin on November 14, with 16 Elite matches scheduled across four groups. The Plate division will also start on the same day.
Some of the notable opening-day fixtures include Hyderabad vs Mumbai, Punjab vs Haryana, Saurashtra vs Bihar and Karnataka vs Bengal.
The following are the opening-day Elite fixtures, with timings in Indian Standard Time (IST):
| Time (IST) | Match | Venue |
| 9:00 AM | Hyderabad vs Mumbai | JU Second Campus, Kolkata |
| 9:00 AM | Chandigarh vs Baroda | MCA Academy, BKC, Mumbai |
| 9:00 AM | Punjab vs Haryana | The Daly College, Indore |
| 9:00 AM | Maharashtra vs Puducherry | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| 11:00 AM | Mizoram vs Jharkhand | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 11:00 AM | Saurashtra vs Bihar | Holkar Stadium, Indore |
| 11:00 AM | Tripura vs Andhra | PCA International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh |
| 11:00 AM | Gujarat vs Odisha | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 1:30 PM | Rajasthan vs Uttar Pradesh | MCA Academy, BKC, Mumbai |
| 1:30 PM | Railways vs Tamil Nadu | The Daly College, Indore |
| 1:30 PM | Himachal Pradesh vs Assam | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| 1:30 PM | Vidarbha vs Goa | JU Second Campus, Kolkata |
| 4:30 PM | Uttarakhand vs Chhattisgarh | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 4:30 PM | Karnataka vs Bengal | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 4:30 PM | Jammu and Kashmir vs Delhi | Holkar Stadium, Indore |
| 4:30 PM | Madhya Pradesh vs Kerala | PCA International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh |
The Plate opening-day fixtures include Nagaland vs Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh vs Manipur and Services vs Sikkim.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026-27: Latest Squad Updates
Several state associations have announced their squads and captaincy appointments for the upcoming domestic competition. The selections feature experienced campaigners, international players and emerging young cricketers.
Suryakumar Yadav to Lead Mumbai
India batter Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed captain of Mumbai for the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
The squad also includes all-rounder Shivam Dube and experienced players such as Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande and Sarfaraz Khan. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Hardik Tamore are among the wicketkeeping options.
Mumbai are placed in Elite Group D alongside Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Vidarbha.
The team will begin its campaign against Hyderabad on November 14 at JU Second Campus in Kolkata.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Named Bihar Captain
Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named Bihar captain for the opening two matches of the tournament. The 15-year-old will take on a leadership role in senior domestic T20 cricket.
Bihar are placed in Elite Group B and will begin their campaign against Saurashtra on November 14 in Indore. They will face Railways in their second match on November 16.
Sooryavanshi is expected to join the India A squad for the Rising Stars Asia Cup after Bihar’s opening two matches. His availability for the remainder of the group stage will therefore be affected by his national commitments.
Suraj Kashyap has been appointed vice-captain of the Bihar side.
Shubham Khajuria to Lead Jammu and Kashmir
The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association has named Shubham Khajuria captain for the upcoming competition.
The 15-member squad includes several familiar names, such as Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, Qamran Iqbal and Yudhvir Singh. Other selected players include Abid Mushtaq, Sahil Lotra and Vanshaj Sharma.
Jammu and Kashmir will compete in Elite Group B, with their league matches scheduled in Indore. They will begin their campaign against Delhi on November 14.
Sanju Samson to Captain Kerala
India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is set to lead Kerala in the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Kerala are placed in Elite Group C and will play their preliminary-round matches in Mohali and New Chandigarh. They will open their campaign against Madhya Pradesh on November 14.
Samson’s return is an important boost for Kerala as they look to progress to the next stage of the competition.
R. Sai Kishore to Lead Tamil Nadu
Left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore will captain Tamil Nadu in the upcoming tournament.
The squad includes several established players, such as Varun Chakravarthy, T. Natarajan, N. Jagadeesan and M. Shahrukh Khan. Tushar Raheja, Andre Siddarth and Gurjapneet Singh are also part of the team.
Tamil Nadu will compete in Elite Group B and begin their campaign against Railways on November 14 at The Daly College in Indore.
Ayush Badoni to Captain Delhi
Delhi have appointed Ayush Badoni captain for the 2026-27 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, with Priyansh Arya named vice-captain.
The squad includes experienced fast bowler Ishant Sharma, along with Harshit Rana and Mayank Yadav. Yash Dhull, Himmat Singh, Suyash Sharma and Digvesh Rathi are also part of the team.
Delhi will play in Elite Group B and begin their campaign against Jammu and Kashmir on November 14 in Indore.
Hardik Pandya Missing from Baroda Squad
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been left out of Baroda’s squad for the upcoming tournament.
His absence delays his return to competitive cricket as he continues rehabilitation from a tibial bone stress fracture. His brother Krunal Pandya has been named captain of the Baroda side, while Atit Sheth will serve as vice-captain.
The squad also includes experienced players such as Deepak Hooda and Jitesh Sharma.
Baroda are placed in Elite Group A and will begin their campaign against Chandigarh on November 14 in Mumbai.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw Included in Maharashtra Squad
Maharashtra have included Ruturaj Gaikwad and Prithvi Shaw in their 18-member squad for the competition.
Both batters have previously led the state side and will be among the key players to watch in the upcoming season. However, the Maharashtra Cricket Association has not formally announced the captain in its squad announcement.
Maharashtra will compete in Elite Group C and begin their campaign against Puducherry on November 14 at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.
Jharkhand Enter as Defending Champions
Jharkhand will enter the 2026-27 season as the defending champions after winning their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the previous edition.
In the 2025-26 final, Jharkhand defeated Haryana by 69 runs at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on December 18, 2025.
Batting first, Jharkhand posted 262/3 in 20 overs. Haryana were subsequently bowled out for 193 in 18.3 overs.
The victory secured Jharkhand’s first title in the competition under Ishan Kishan’s leadership. The team will now aim to defend its championship against the other 31 Elite sides in the upcoming season.
