The second phase of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy started today, January 22, after a gap of two months. The gap was meant to accommodate the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Meanwhile, Round 6 has started with 19 matches being played all over the world.
The first phase of the second half will be played today, with the second half being scheduled on January 29. The four quarterfinal matches will be played next month, on February 6, followed by the two semifinal matches on February 15 to 19. The final match of the tournament will be played between February 24 and 28.
Where can fans enjoy the match?
Notably, the Board of Cricket Council in India had already suffered a lot of criticism from fans due to the lack of coverage of domestic matches. This ignorance is not just for the Ranji Trophy but for other prime domestic tournaments too.
However, after BCCI mandated international players to regularly participate in the domestic tournaments, there has been an obvious urge among the fans to watch it live.
In many cases BCCI ensure selective coverage of matches, like they did in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy. For the first round (January 22-25), BCCI ensured live streaming of only three matches. They are:
- Uttar Pradesh vs Jharkhand (Ekana Stadium, Lucknow)
- Gujarat vs Railways (GSP Stadium, Nadiad)
- Puducherry vs Jammu & Kashmir (CAP Siechem Ground)
Fans can watch the games on the JioHotstar app or can log in to their website for live digital streaming. On the television, the Star Sports network will be broadcasting the matches.
Read also: Kolkata Knight Riders Appoint New Fielding Coach Ahead of IPL 2026
High-profile names in the matches
The ongoing round of domestic matches has taken on an international flavour despite most games not being televised, with several Indian stars turning out for their respective state teams soon after the India–New Zealand ODI series.
One of the standout fixtures sees India captain Shubman Gill leading Punjab against Ravindra Jadeja’s Saurashtra in Rajkot, making it the marquee clash of the round. In another high-profile contest, Mohammed Siraj has returned to captain Hyderabad in a challenging Group D encounter against Mumbai, who are led by all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
Bengal have significantly strengthened their pace unit for their home match against Services, bringing in Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep to sharpen their bowling attack. Meanwhile, KL Rahul has rejoined the Karnataka squad, adding experience and stability as they prepare to take on Madhya Pradesh.
The last phase of the tournament will no doubt be an important leg for the teams aiming for a final push for the qualifications.
