BCCI introduces new promotion-relegation rule in Ranji Trophy
The 2025–26 Ranji Trophy will be held from October 15 to February 28 in two phases, with a tweaked format that will see the promotion and relegation of one team from the Plate Group. Earlier, two sides were promoted and relegated at the end of the tournament. The BCCI took its decision in its Apex Council meeting on Saturday, June 14.advertisementBack in 2018–19, the BCCI had added nine teams to the Ranji Trophy, including teams from the North East, but that has impacted the quality of cricket in the premier domestic competition. Meghalaya played in the Ranji Trophy Elite division but lost all their seven games last season.'All multi-day men's tournaments (senior and junior), 1 team will be promoted and 1 team will be relegated for the 2026–27 season grouping,' read a BCCI note in PTI's possession.
The format change in red-ball cricket will apply to all BCCI tournaments across age groups.The first phase of the Ranji Trophy will be played from October 15 to November 19, while the second phase will run from January 22 to February 1. The knockouts will be played from February 6 to 28.advertisementThe Duleep Trophy, which returns to the zonal format, will mark the start of the season and will run from August 28 to September 15. 'The team will be picked by the Zonal Selection Committee,' the BCCI added.The Irani Cup will run from October 1 to 5.Super League in SMATThe Plate division has been reintroduced in all one-day competitions, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Until last season, the knockout games included the standard quarterfinal, semifinal, and final stages. But from this season, the qualified teams will get three extra matches in the Super League.The top team from Groups A and B will meet in the final. The bottom-placed six teams from last season will form the Plate Group. The SMAT will be played from November 26 to December 18.Additionally, for all the white-ball tournaments, the head-to-head clause for qualification has been removed, and net run rate will now determine which team advances in the competition if they have equal points and wins.India vs New Zealand Likely VenuesThe likely venues for the white-ball series against New Zealand from January 11 to 31, 2026, include:Hyderabad – First ODI (Jan 11)Rajkot – Second ODI (Jan 14)advertisementIndore – Third ODI (Jan 18)Nagpur – First T20I (Jan 21)Ranchi – Second T20I (Jan 23)Guwahati – Third T20I (Jan 25)Visakhapatnam – Fourth T20I (Jan 28)Thiruvananthapuram – Fifth T20I (Jan 31)Tune InMust Watch
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