With the senior men’s domestic season in full swing, the age-group cricket will also return in the 2026-27 season.
The BCCI will host the Vijay Merchant Trophy from November 2026 to January 2027.
So here’s all you need to know about the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 schedule.
But what exactly is the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27?
It’s an under-16 men’s multi-day tournament played with the red ball. Think of it as the Ranji Trophy for the junior cricketers.
But unlike the Ranji Trophy, the group stage matches in the Vijay Merchant Trophy are three-day affairs instead of four. The knockout games, though, have four playing days.
So when does the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 start?
The under-16 tournament begins on November 14, 2026. A total of 18 matches will take place in the opening round.
How many teams are participating?
So the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 will see 36 teams, two fewer than the Ranji Trophy.
Railways and Services don’t compete in the under-16 tournament. The other teams are similar to those of the Ranji Trophy.
Here are the teams in the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026:
- Mumbai
- Maharashtra
- Haryana
- Assam
- Punjab
- Manipur
- Andhra
- Chhattisgarh
- Uttar Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh
- Vidarbha
- Mizoram
- Tamil Nadu
- Karnataka
- Gujarat
- Baroda
- Bengal
- Sikkim
- Kerala
- Rajasthan
- Hyderabad
- Jharkhand
- Saurashtra
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Delhi
- Uttarakhand
- Odisha
- Tripura
- Pondicherry
- Nagaland
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Goa
- Chandigarh
- Himachal Pradesh
- Bihar
- Meghalaya
Are the teams divided into elite and plate divisions?
Yes. Like the senior men’s tournament, the Vijay Merchant Trophy also has elite and plate divisions.
There are, however, five groups in the elite division and one in the plate. Each group has six teams.
Here are the groups for the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27:
| Elite A | Elite B | Elite C | Elite D | Elite E | Plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | Maharashtra | Haryana | Assam | Punjab | Manipur |
| Andhra | Chhattisgarh | Uttar Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | Vidarbha | Mizoram |
| Tamil Nadu | Karnataka | Gujarat | Baroda | Bengal | Sikkim |
| Kerala | Rajasthan | Hyderabad | Jharkhand | Saurashtra | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Delhi | Uttarakhand | Odisha | Tripura | Pondicherry | Nagaland |
| Jammu & Kashmir | Goa | Chandigarh | Himachal Pradesh | Bihar | Meghalaya |
Okay then, what’s the format of the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27?
Both divisions follow a single round-robin group stage. So teams face their group opponents once each, playing five matches.
The top two teams from the plate group directly square off in the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 plate final.
As for the elite division, there are pre quarter-finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final lined up after the group stage.
A total of 10 teams, the table toppers and the runners-up of each elite group, will advance to the knockouts.
The table toppers, along with the sixth-best team, will secure a direct quarter-final slot, while the other four sides will compete in the pre quarter-finals. The two pre quarter-final winners will fill the remaining quarter-final spots.
The winners of the quarter-finals will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners then competing in the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 elite final.
Will teams face promotion and relegation?
Yes. And the process is similar to that of the senior men’s tournaments.
The plate group winners will gain promotion to the elite division for the next season. On the other hand, the bottom-ranked team from the elite division will face relegation to the plate group.
Which venues will host the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27?
A total of 22 venues across six states will host the matches. Dehradun will host all plate group fixtures, while Gwalior, Morena, Shivamogga, Lucknow, Vijayawada, Mangalagiri, Mulapadu and Vadodara will stage elite group matches. Surat and Daman will share the hosting duties for the elite group knockouts.
Here are the venues:
- Ayush Cricket Academy Ground 1, Dehradun
- Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Dehradun
- Abhimanyu Cricket Academy Ground, Dehradun
- Maharana Pratap College Ground, Dehradun
- Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Gwalior
- Scindia School Cricket Ground, Gwalior
- Captain Roop Singh Stadium, Gwalior
- MPCA Ground, Morena
- JNN College of Engg Ground, Shivamogga
- KSCA Navule Stadium, Shivamogga
- KSCA Navule Stadium (Ground 2), Shivamogga
- BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
- BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium B Ground, Lucknow
- GCRG Cricket Ground, Lucknow
- DVR Ground, Vijayawada
- Andhra Cricket Association Stadium, Mangalagiri
- Chukkapalli Pitchaiah Cricket Ground, Mulapadu
- Reliance Cricket Stadium, Vadodara
- GSFC Cricket Ground, Vadodara
- Vadodara Cricket Academy Ground, Vadodara
- Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat
Alright, what’s the full schedule for the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27?
So the group stage runs from November 14 to December 8 for both divisions. The plate group will have its final from December 12 to 15.
At the same time, the elite division will kick off its knockouts, with the pre quarter-finals from December 12. The quarter-finals will start on December 19, followed by the semi-finals on December 26. The final will take place from January 2 to 5.
Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27: Elite Group Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Andhra vs Delhi | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Bihar vs Bengal | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Chandigarh vs Haryana | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Goa vs Rajasthan | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Himachal Pradesh vs Assam | Vijayawada | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Jammu & Kashmir vs Kerala | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Jharkhand vs Madhya Pradesh | Mangalagiri | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Maharashtra vs Chhattisgarh | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Odisha vs Hyderabad | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Pondicherry vs Vidarbha | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Saurashtra vs Punjab | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Tamil Nadu vs Mumbai | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Tripura vs Baroda | Mulapadu | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Uttar Pradesh vs Gujarat | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Uttarakhand vs Karnataka | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Assam vs Tripura | Mangalagiri | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Chandigarh vs Gujarat | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Goa vs Karnataka | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Himachal Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh | Vijayawada | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Jammu & Kashmir vs Mumbai | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Jharkhand vs Baroda | Mulapadu | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Kerala vs Andhra | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Odisha vs Haryana | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Pondicherry vs Bengal | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Punjab vs Bihar | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Rajasthan vs Maharashtra | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Saurashtra vs Vidarbha | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Tamil Nadu vs Delhi | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Uttarakhand vs Chhattisgarh | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Assam vs Jharkhand | Mangalagiri | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Goa vs Maharashtra | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Haryana vs Gujarat | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Himachal Pradesh vs Tripura | Mulapadu | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Hyderabad vs Chandigarh | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Jammu & Kashmir vs Andhra | Morena | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Karnataka vs Chhattisgarh | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Kerala vs Tamil Nadu | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Madhya Pradesh vs Baroda | Vijayawada | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Mumbai vs Delhi | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Odisha vs Uttar Pradesh | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Punjab vs Pondicherry | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Rajasthan vs Uttarakhand | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Saurashtra vs Bihar | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Vidarbha vs Bengal | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Andhra vs Mumbai | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Assam vs Baroda | Vijayawada | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Bihar vs Vidarbha | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Goa vs Uttarakhand | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Himachal Pradesh vs Jharkhand | Mulapadu | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Hyderabad vs Gujarat | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Jammu & Kashmir vs Tamil Nadu | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Kerala vs Delhi | Morena | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Maharashtra vs Karnataka | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Odisha vs Chandigarh | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Punjab vs Bengal | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Rajasthan vs Chhattisgarh | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Saurashtra vs Pondicherry | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Tripura vs Madhya Pradesh | Mangalagiri | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Uttar Pradesh vs Haryana | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Andhra vs Tamil Nadu | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Assam vs Madhya Pradesh | Mulapadu | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Bihar vs Pondicherry | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Goa vs Chhattisgarh | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Himachal Pradesh vs Baroda | Mangalagiri | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Hyderabad vs Haryana | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Jammu & Kashmir vs Delhi | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Kerala vs Mumbai | Gwalior | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Maharashtra vs Uttarakhand | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Odisha vs Gujarat | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Punjab vs Vidarbha | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Rajasthan vs Karnataka | Lucknow | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Saurashtra vs Bengal | Vadodara | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Tripura vs Jharkhand | Vijayawada | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Uttar Pradesh vs Chandigarh | Shivamogga | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 12-15, 2026 | Pre Quarter-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 12-15, 2026 | Pre Quarter-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 19-22, 2026 | Quarter-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 19-22, 2026 | Quarter-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 19-22, 2026 | Quarter-Final | Daman | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 19-22, 2026 | Quarter-Final | Daman | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 26-29, 2026 | Semi-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 26-29, 2026 | Semi-Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
| Jan 2-5, 2027 | Final | Surat | 9:30 AM |
Ongoing & Upcoming Series Schedule:
ICC Cricket World Cup 2027 Schedule
New Zealand vs India Series 2026: Schedule
New Zealand A vs India A Unofficial Test Series 2026: Schedule
Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2026: Schedule
Nepal Premier League (NPL) 2026: Schedule
Ranji Trophy 2026-27: Schedule
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka Series 2026: Schedule
ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026: Schedule
ACC Men’s Under-19 Asia Cup 2026: Schedule
World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 Full Schedule
Indian Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India Men’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Indian Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India’s Domestic Cricket Season 2026-27 Schedule
Australia Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
Australia Men’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Australia Women’s Cricket Team 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
England Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
England 2026 Home Season Schedule
England Women’s Cricket Team 2026 Home Season Schedule
South Africa Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
South Africa 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
New Zealand Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
New Zealand 2026-27 Home Season Schedule
Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team 2026 Schedule
India’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
Australia’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
South Africa’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
England’s ODI Schedule Till 2027 Cricket World Cup
Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27: Plate Group Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Manipur vs Arunachal Pradesh | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Nagaland vs Meghalaya | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 14-16, 2026 | Sikkim vs Mizoram | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Manipur vs Mizoram | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Meghalaya vs Sikkim | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 19-21, 2026 | Nagaland vs Arunachal Pradesh | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Arunachal Pradesh vs Mizoram | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Meghalaya vs Manipur | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 25-27, 2026 | Nagaland vs Sikkim | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Meghalaya vs Mizoram | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Nagaland vs Manipur | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Nov 30-Dec 2, 2026 | Sikkim vs Arunachal Pradesh | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Meghalaya vs Arunachal Pradesh | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Nagaland vs Mizoram | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 6-8, 2026 | Sikkim vs Manipur | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
| Dec 12-15, 2026 | Final | Dehradun | 9:30 AM |
What are the squads?
Here’s a look at the squads announced for the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27:
Mumbai
Arhaan Patel, Pradnyankur Bhalerao, Shardul Fagare, Shahid Khan, Shreyas Khilare (vc), Prithviraj Kumbhar, Aarush Kolhe, Darshan Rathod, Harsh Kadam, Golu Pal, Devashish Ghodke (c & wk), Praveer Singh, Saif Ali (wk), Abraar Shaikh, Sparsh Gholap
Maharashtra
Arnav Patil (c), Vivan Hansaliya, Shravan Rathod, Mujataba Sayyed, Zidan Manga, Aaryan Kitture, Yuvraj Pangarkar, Arjun Gaikwad, Krushna Gaikwad, Aadhan Prasad, Saish Bartakke, Adarsh Chorghade, Shreyash Batule, Sarthak Shinde, Yuvraj Telange, Avaneesh Darade
Haryana
To be announced.
Assam
To be announced.
Punjab
To be announced.
Manipur
To be announced.
Andhra
To be announced.
Chhattisgarh
To be announced.
Uttar Pradesh
To be announced.
Madhya Pradesh
To be announced.
Vidarbha
To be announced.
Mizoram
To be announced.
Tamil Nadu
To be announced.
Karnataka
To be announced.
Gujarat
To be announced.
Baroda
To be announced.
Bengal
To be announced.
Sikkim
To be announced.
Kerala
Vishal George (c & wk), Devarsh B, Arjun Nair, Sreehari Prasad, Anand Sai P, Muhammed Rehman M, Aaryan S, Karthy Maju, Jithin B V, Shivank Jayesh, Devatheerth S, Aaron Alex Pereira, Devanarayanan, Abhinav Madhu, Aadinn Joseph, Ayaan Ahammed
Rajasthan
To be announced.
Hyderabad
To be announced.
Jharkhand
To be announced.
Saurashtra
To be announced.
Arunachal Pradesh
To be announced.
Delhi
Parth Dabas (c), Vedant Malik, Kabir Talwar, Shivansh Singh, Ayushman Adhikari (wk), Yuvish Singh (wk), Veddant Gupta, Ishan Gupta, Gautam Yadav, Arnav Sharma, Arya Singh, Darsh Agarwal, Pranay Sharma, Aarush Yadav, Naitik Singh, Saksham Yadav
Uttarakhand
To be announced.
Odisha
Midhansu Das (c), Priyanshu Amal (vc), Devahans Sahoo (wk), Samarjeet Sahoo, Abhijit Nath, Anshuman Patanaik, Ansul Barik, Arjun Rout, Arpit Pradhan, James Lima, Omm Prakash Sahoo, Reshab Sharma, Saiditya Mohanty, Sideswar Bag, SK Kalumuddin
Tripura
To be announced.
Pondicherry
To be announced.
Nagaland
To be announced.
Jammu & Kashmir
To be announced.
Goa
To be announced.
Chandigarh
To be announced.
Himachal Pradesh
To be announced.
Bihar
To be announced.
Meghalaya
To be announced.
Where to watch the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27?
A select few matches of the Vijay Merchant Trophy 2026-27 will be live streamed on JioHotstar. Meanwhile, you can follow all scores live on BCCI’s official website.
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