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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary confirms that the Duleep Trophy final will be moved from the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, which will host the summit clash. The domestic season is set to begin from August 23 and will run to September 10, 2026, marking the start of the 2026–27 Indian domestic cricket season.
The six zonal teams, Central, East, North, North East, South, and West, compete in a knockout format. Defending champions Central Zone and last year's runners-up South Zone received direct byes into the semi-finals. North Zone faces West Zone (CoE Ground 1).
While East Zone takes on North East Zone (CoE Ground 2).Semi-Finals (August 30–September 2): Central Zone plays the winner of East/North East, and South Zone plays the winner of North/West.
"The final of the Duleep Trophy will be held in Chennai"- Devajit Saikia confirms the Duleep Trophy final venue
While speaking with the New Indian Express, the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the final will be taking place at the MA Chidambaram so that the fans can come in numbers and watch the match, as the rest of the matches are set to be played behind closed doors.
"The final of the Duleep Trophy will be held in Chennai, so that whoever wants to see the best players of the country in action, they can come and watch the match," Saikia told The New Indian Express on Wednesday. The matches are played behind closed doors.
Devajit Saikia on CoE restrictions
Previously, Saikia, BCCI president Mithun Manhas, and CoE head VVS Laxman were at the facility for a meeting and spoke to a small group of reporters about the CoE's successes and functionality.
During that discussion, he was asked about supporters not being able to attend the game at CoE. Saikia said that owing to the laws, they cannot have stands or fans at the CoE.
"There are some restrictions while this land was adopted here that we cannot have crowds in this campus. So that is a government restriction. We will definitely appreciate your suggestions on whether the final can be hosted in a stadium or not. We still have time. We'll look into that aspect. If required, we'll do that," he had said at the time.
Devajit Saikia confirms live broadcast of Duleep Trophy
Later on Wednesday, the BCCI secretary stated that despite the match being behind closed doors for the fans, he confirmed that the matches will be both telecast and live-streamed by the official broadcaster.
"We had discussed it during the press conference. There are no restrictions in Chennai, but there were some restrictions in CoE. Therefore, we have decided to shift the final alone to Chennai. All other matches will be on both television and streaming platforms. In addition, people can come and watch the final in person at the stadium in Chennai," he said on Wednesday.
There are some big names in the tournament, with the likes of Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Rajat Patidar, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, and more cricketers will be present in the Duleep Trophy.
