The 91st edition of the Ranji Trophy will begin on October 15. Here is the group division for the teams for the 2025-26 season.
How are Ranji Trophy groups formed?
The Ranji Trophy, like the County Championship, uses a promotion and relegation system. The 32 teams are split into four Elite Groups (A, B, C, and D) to compete for the title, while a further six teams form the Plate League.
Each team will play the other seven once in their respective Elite Groups. The top two from each will progress to the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and the final. In the Plate League, the top two teams will automatically be promoted to the Elite Group for the following season, regardless of who wins the Plate League final.
Last season, Bihar and Meghalaya were relegated to the Plate League for being the two worst-performing sides in the Elite division. They were replaced by Goa and Nagaland, who were promoted after contesting the plate competition final.
Also read: Ranji Trophy squad news: 14-year-old Indian prodigy named vice-captain of state side
Vidarbha enter the season as defending champions after winning last year's final against Kerala. They secured the title by earning a first-innings lead, fueled by a century from Danish Malewar. In August, during the Duleep Trophy, Malewar scored his maiden first-class double century, joining an exclusive club.
𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐡𝐚 𝐚𝐫𝐞 #𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐢𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒-𝟐𝟓 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 🏆 🙌
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) March 2, 2025
Joy. Tears. Pride 😀👌
They lift the title by virtue of taking the 1st innings lead against Kerala in the Final 👏
The celebrations begin 🥳@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/CXjVNPPCE7
A total of 135 matches will be played across the two tiers in the upcoming season. The tournament begins on October 15, with 19 matches scheduled for the first round. During December and January, India’s white-ball tournaments – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy – will be held. The Ranji Trophy will resume after that.
Ranji Trophy 2025-26 groups: Full list
Image credit: X/BCCI Domestic
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