The Duleep Trophy will kick off the 2025–26 domestic cricket season on August 28, 2025, culminating in the Senior Women’s Inter-Zonal Multi-Day Trophy on April 3, 2026. The Ranji Trophy, a key component of India’s domestic cricket schedule, is scheduled to commence on October 15, 2025. It will be played in two phases: the initial phase from October 15 to November 19, 2025, and the second (Elite) phase from January 22 to February 1, 2026.
Shreyas Iyer, a prominent Indian batter, is set to play for the West Zone in the Duleep Trophy. The zonal teams are expected to be announced on Friday afternoon in Mumbai.
Alongside Iyer, other prominent players like Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, and Tushar Deshpande have also shown interest in participating in the tournament, notifying the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) of their availability.
Iyer was a key contributor to India’s Champions Trophy 2025 victory in Dubai and played a significant role in Punjab Kings’ journey to the IPL 2025 final, where they were defeated by Royal Challengers Bangalore in Ahmedabad.
Despite his contributions, Iyer was not selected for the ongoing Test series in England. The selectors preferred Karun Nair due to his performance in recent domestic matches.
Tilak Varma will lead the South Zone team, with several experienced players such as KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and Washington Sundar not included in the squad.