Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Gavaskar Criticizes Ranji Trophy Split in Domestic Schedule
Sunil Gavaskar is unhappy with the way India’s cricket season has been planned.
The Ranji Trophy is India’s main First-Class domestic tournament.
This season, its matches will be split into two separate periods.
The first part will happen from October 11 to November 5.
Then the tournament will stop for more than two months.
During the break, players will compete in shorter-format tournaments.
These tournaments include the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Gavaskar believes the plan gives too much importance to players preparing for the IPL auction.
The limited-overs matches will overlap with the auction for the 2027 IPL season.
Sunil Gavaskar criticized India’s 2026-27 domestic cricket schedule.
The Ranji Trophy will be played in two stages, from October 11 to November 5 and after a break of more than two months.
The break will accommodate the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The limited-overs tournaments are scheduled from November 14 to January 8, 2027.
Gavaskar said the schedule appears to prioritize IPL auction auditions over First-Class cricket.
- Who
- Sunil Gavaskar criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s domestic schedule.
- What
- The 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season will be split into two windows with a break of more than two months.
- When
- The first Ranji Trophy leg is scheduled for October 11 to November 5; the white-ball tournaments run from November 14 to January 8, 2027.
- Where
- The Ranji Trophy will be played across India; the Duleep Trophy was held in Bengaluru and Chennai.
- Why
- Gavaskar argued that the schedule reflects greater emphasis on IPL auction auditions than on First-Class cricket.
- Season
- India’s 2026-27 senior men’s domestic cricket season
- Ranji Trophy first leg
- October 11 to November 5
- Ranji Trophy break
- More than two months
- White-ball tournaments
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy
- White-ball schedule
- November 14 to January 8, 2027
- IPL connection
- The white-ball leg coincides with the auction for the 2027 IPL season
- Critic
- Sunil Gavaskar