Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has lambasted the scheduling for India’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season, highlighting a disregard for First-Class cricket and the Ranji Trophy in favour of auditions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
The senior men’s domestic season began with the Duleep Trophy tournament played over the last fortnight in Bengaluru and Chennai. It will be followed by the first leg of the Ranji Trophy group stages set to be played across the country between October 11 and November 5.
The tournament will then witness a break of over two months during which the limited-overs tournaments – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s and the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy – will be played between November 14 and January 8, 2027. The white-ball leg will also coincide with the IPL auction for the 2027 season.