The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026–27 will begin on November 14, 2026, and conclude with the Elite final on December 6, 2026. The Plate final is scheduled for November 24.
A total of 38 domestic teams will participate in India’s leading men’s T20 competition. The Elite group stage will run until November 26, followed by the Super League from November 30 to December 4.
Jharkhand will enter the tournament as defending champions. Led by Ishan Kishan, Jharkhand defeated Haryana by 69 runs in the 2025–26 final to win their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026: Key Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026–27 |
| Administrator | Board of Control for Cricket in India |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| Starting date | November 14, 2026 |
| Plate final | November 24, 2026 |
| Elite group stage ends | November 26, 2026 |
| Super League | November 30–December 4, 2026 |
| Elite final | December 6, 2026 |
| Participating teams | 38 |
| Elite teams | 32 |
| Plate teams | 6 |
| Defending champions | Jharkhand |
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Groups
The 32 Elite teams have been divided into four groups of eight teams each. Six teams will compete separately in the Plate competition.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Elite Group A | Baroda, Bengal, Chandigarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh |
| Elite Group B | Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Railways, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu |
| Elite Group C | Andhra, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Tripura |
| Elite Group D | Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Odisha, Uttarakhand, Vidarbha |
| Plate Group | Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Services, Sikkim |
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Full Schedule
All timings mentioned below are in Indian Standard Time. The venues are currently listed as TBC. Some match timings, especially the provisional Super League slots, may be revised after the venues are confirmed.
| Date | Time | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| November 14 | 9:00 AM | Chandigarh vs Baroda (A); Punjab vs Haryana (B); Maharashtra vs Puducherry (C); Hyderabad vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 14 | 11:00 AM | Nagaland vs Meghalaya (Plate); Arunachal Pradesh vs Manipur (Plate); Mizoram vs Jharkhand (A); Saurashtra vs Bihar (B); Tripura vs Andhra (C); Gujarat vs Odisha (D) |
| November 14 | 1:30 PM | Rajasthan vs Uttar Pradesh (A); Railways vs Tamil Nadu (B); Himachal Pradesh vs Assam (C); Vidarbha vs Goa (D) |
| November 14 | 4:30 PM | Services vs Sikkim (Plate); Karnataka vs Bengal (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Delhi (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Kerala (C); Uttarakhand vs Chhattisgarh (D) |
| November 16 | 9:00 AM | Rajasthan vs Jharkhand (A); Railways vs Bihar (B); Himachal Pradesh vs Andhra (C); Vidarbha vs Odisha (D) |
| November 16 | 11:00 AM | Sikkim vs Arunachal Pradesh (Plate); Nagaland vs Manipur (Plate); Karnataka vs Uttar Pradesh (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Tamil Nadu (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Assam (C); Uttarakhand vs Goa (D) |
| November 16 | 1:30 PM | Mizoram vs Baroda (A); Saurashtra vs Haryana (B); Tripura vs Puducherry (C); Gujarat vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 16 | 4:30 PM | Services vs Meghalaya (Plate); Bengal vs Chandigarh (A); Delhi vs Punjab (B); Kerala vs Maharashtra (C); Chhattisgarh vs Hyderabad (D) |
| November 18 | 9:00 AM | Bengal vs Jharkhand (A); Delhi vs Bihar (B); Kerala vs Andhra (C); Chhattisgarh vs Odisha (D) |
| November 18 | 11:00 AM | Sikkim vs Nagaland (Plate); Services vs Arunachal Pradesh (Plate); Chandigarh vs Rajasthan (A); Punjab vs Railways (B); Maharashtra vs Himachal Pradesh (C); Hyderabad vs Vidarbha (D) |
| November 18 | 1:30 PM | Uttar Pradesh vs Baroda (A); Tamil Nadu vs Haryana (B); Assam vs Puducherry (C); Goa vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 18 | 4:30 PM | Meghalaya vs Manipur (Plate); Karnataka vs Mizoram (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Saurashtra (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Tripura (C); Uttarakhand vs Gujarat (D) |
| November 20 | 9:00 AM | Chandigarh vs Uttar Pradesh (A); Punjab vs Tamil Nadu (B); Maharashtra vs Assam (C); Hyderabad vs Goa (D) |
| November 20 | 11:00 AM | Arunachal Pradesh vs Meghalaya (Plate); Services vs Nagaland (Plate); Karnataka vs Jharkhand (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Bihar (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Andhra (C); Uttarakhand vs Odisha (D) |
| November 20 | 1:30 PM | Bengal vs Mizoram (A); Delhi vs Saurashtra (B); Kerala vs Tripura (C); Chhattisgarh vs Gujarat (D) |
| November 20 | 4:30 PM | Sikkim vs Manipur (Plate); Rajasthan vs Baroda (A); Railways vs Haryana (B); Himachal Pradesh vs Puducherry (C); Vidarbha vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 22 | 9:00 AM | Rajasthan vs Mizoram (A); Railways vs Saurashtra (B); Himachal Pradesh vs Tripura (C); Vidarbha vs Gujarat (D) |
| November 22 | 11:00 AM | Services vs Manipur (Plate); Sikkim vs Meghalaya (Plate); Bengal vs Baroda (A); Delhi vs Haryana (B); Kerala vs Puducherry (C); Chhattisgarh vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 22 | 1:30 PM | Karnataka vs Chandigarh (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Punjab (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Maharashtra (C); Uttarakhand vs Hyderabad (D) |
| November 22 | 4:30 PM | Arunachal Pradesh vs Nagaland (Plate); Uttar Pradesh vs Jharkhand (A); Tamil Nadu vs Bihar (B); Assam vs Andhra (C); Goa vs Odisha (D) |
| November 24 | 9:00 AM | Bengal vs Uttar Pradesh (A); Delhi vs Tamil Nadu (B); Kerala vs Assam (C); Chhattisgarh vs Goa (D) |
| November 24 | 11:00 AM | Chandigarh vs Mizoram (A); Punjab vs Saurashtra (B); Maharashtra vs Tripura (C); Hyderabad vs Gujarat (D) |
| November 24 | 1:30 PM | Karnataka vs Rajasthan (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Railways (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Himachal Pradesh (C); Uttarakhand vs Vidarbha (D) |
| November 24 | 4:30 PM | Plate finalist 1 vs Plate finalist 2; Jharkhand vs Baroda (A); Bihar vs Haryana (B); Andhra vs Puducherry (C); Odisha vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 26 | 9:00 AM | Karnataka vs Baroda (A); Jammu and Kashmir vs Haryana (B); Madhya Pradesh vs Puducherry (C); Uttarakhand vs Mumbai (D) |
| November 26 | 11:00 AM | Bengal vs Rajasthan (A); Delhi vs Railways (B); Kerala vs Himachal Pradesh (C); Chhattisgarh vs Vidarbha (D) |
| November 26 | 1:30 PM | Chandigarh vs Jharkhand (A); Punjab vs Bihar (B); Maharashtra vs Andhra (C); Hyderabad vs Odisha (D) |
| November 26 | 4:30 PM | Mizoram vs Uttar Pradesh (A); Saurashtra vs Tamil Nadu (B); Tripura vs Assam (C); Gujarat vs Goa (D) |
| November 30 | 9:00 AM | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| November 30 | 11:00 AM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| November 30 | 1:30 PM | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| November 30 | 4:30 PM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| December 2 | 5:30 AM* | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| December 2 | 9:00 AM | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| December 2 | 1:30 PM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| December 2 | 4:30 PM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| December 4 | 5:30 AM* | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| December 4 | 11:00 AM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| December 4 | 1:30 PM | Super League Group A: TBC vs TBC |
| December 4 | 4:30 PM | Super League Group B: TBC vs TBC |
| December 6 | 4:30 PM | Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Final: TBC vs TBC |
*The 5:30 AM Super League timings are provisional and could be updated after the venues are announced.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Format
Every Elite team will play the other seven teams in its group once during the league stage. The top two teams from each Elite group will qualify for the Super League, creating a field of eight teams.
The eight qualifying teams will be placed in two Super League groups. Each team will play three matches during this phase. The leading team from each Super League group will progress to the final on December 6.
The six Plate teams will play each other once. The top two teams in the Plate standings will contest the Plate final on November 24.
When Will the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Start?
The tournament will begin on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Chandigarh versus Baroda, Punjab versus Haryana, Maharashtra versus Puducherry and Hyderabad versus Mumbai will be among the opening fixtures.
When Is the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Final?
The Elite final will be played on Sunday, December 6, 2026. The finalists and venue will be confirmed later. The Plate final will take place on November 24.
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026 Venues
The venues have not yet been confirmed in the published fixtures. Every match is currently marked as TBC. The final venues and any revised match timings are expected to be announced closer to the beginning of the tournament.
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Who Are the Defending Champions?
Jharkhand are the defending Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy champions. They won their maiden title in December 2025 after defeating Haryana by 69 runs in the final.
Captain Ishan Kishan scored 101 runs from 49 balls as Jharkhand registered 262/3. Haryana were restricted to 193 in reply, giving Jharkhand their first title in the competition.
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