Vijay Hazare Trophy Schedule 2025-26: Full Fixtures & Results

For Indian domestic cricket fans, few things spark anticipation like the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy season — the premier 50-over tournament that turns state rivalries into compelling cricket. The 2025-26 edition, running from 24 December to 18 January, brings together 38 teams in a grueling schedule of 119 matches that test squad depth and strategic planning. Understanding the fixture list and format is the first step to following this month-long event.

Teams: 38 (Elite + Plate) ·
Matches: 119 scheduled for 2025-26 ·
Overs per side: 50 ·
Current champion: Haryana (2024-25) ·
Season dates: 24 Dec 2025 – 18 Jan 2026

What is the next upcoming match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?

The opening day schedule shows four confirmed Elite group fixtures, with the tournament beginning at full intensity across three groups.

Four opening-day matches kick off the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 24 December 2025. The Elite group features headliners like Maharashtra vs Punjab, while the Plate group also starts on the same day (Cricbuzz Plate group fixtures). Matches typically start at 9:00 AM local time, with some evening fixtures scheduled for 7:30 PM.

Current fixtures for the week

• 24 Dec 2025: Opening day — Elite Group A, B, C matches plus Plate group openers
• 26 Dec 2025: Elite groups continue — Madhya Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu, Baroda vs Bengal headline
• 29 Dec 2025: Third round of Elite group matches
• 31 Dec 2025: Fourth round of Elite and Plate group matches
• 3 Jan 2026: Fifth round of Elite group matches

Five match days are scheduled across the first 11 days of the tournament for each group, with rest days in between. The pattern: 38 teams, 5 group-stage matches each, all leading to the knockout phase in early January 2026.

How to find live match schedules

Official match schedules are published on BCCI.tv official tournament hub. For live updates, Cricbuzz Elite series page and ESPNcricinfo points table and fixtures provide real-time scorecards and match timings. The BCCI’s official social media handles also post daily schedule updates.

The implication: Fans tracking the Vijay Hazare Trophy need to check multiple platforms — no single source lists all 119 matches with start times. Cross-referencing Cricbuzz and BCCI.tv is the most reliable method to avoid missing a fixture.

Which team is best in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?

Most successful teams by titles

Historical title counts reveal a clear hierarchy, but recent results suggest the pecking order is narrowing.

Tamil Nadu holds the record for most Vijay Hazare Trophy titles with five wins, a testament to their consistent List A performance over two decades (Wikipedia tournament history). Karnataka follows with four titles, while Mumbai has three. Haryana’s 2024-25 triumph marked their maiden title, signaling a shift in the domestic pecking order.

Recent champion: Haryana

Haryana defeated Rajasthan in the 2024-25 final to claim their first Vijay Hazare Trophy championship (BCCI 2024-25 final coverage). Their victory was powered by a balanced bowling attack and consistent batting from their top order. For the 2025-26 season, Haryana enters as defending champion, placed in the Elite group alongside strong contenders.

What this means: The “best team” question depends on whether you value historical dominance (Tamil Nadu’s five titles) or current form (Haryana’s breakthrough). Elite Group A, featuring both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, will provide an early test of where the power currently lies.

How many matches per team are in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?

Group stage format

Each team plays between 5 and 7 matches in the group stage, depending on their group size. The 38 teams are split into Elite and Plate categories, with Elite groups containing 6 teams each (three groups of six) and Plate groups variable. For the 2025-26 season, Elite Group A includes Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Tripura, meaning each team plays 5 group matches (ESPNcricinfo points table with group composition).

Elite vs Plate groups

The Elite group consists of 18 teams divided into three groups of six: Group A (Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura), Group B (Uttar Pradesh, Baroda, Bengal, Hyderabad, Vidarbha, Chandigarh), and Group C (Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Mumbai, Uttarakhand) (Cricbuzz Elite group breakdown). The Plate group includes the remaining 20 teams. The top teams from each group advance to the knockout stage.

The trade-off: Elite teams face five tough group matches, while some Plate teams may play seven. The shorter Elite schedule rewards teams that peak early — one bad week can cost a top side qualification. For Plate teams, more matches mean more opportunity to build momentum.

Who won the current Vijay Hazare Trophy?

Champion for 2024-25 season

Haryana won the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, defeating Rajasthan in the final. This was Haryana’s first title in the tournament’s history, breaking the dominance of traditional powerhouses like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The full winners list is maintained by BCCI official tournament archives and Wikipedia season winners list.

Runner-up details

Rajasthan finished as runners-up in the 2024-25 edition. Their campaign was marked by strong performances in the knockout stages, but they fell short against Haryana’s disciplined bowling attack in the final. For the 2025-26 season, Rajasthan will be looking to go one step further.

The pattern: The 2024-25 result — a first-time champion — suggests the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s competitive depth is widening. Traditional favorites Tamil Nadu and Karnataka now face genuine challengers from states like Haryana and Rajasthan that have invested in domestic cricket infrastructure.

Has anyone chased 400 in ODI?

Highest successful chases in List A

The highest successful chase in List A history remains South Africa’s 438 against Australia in a 2006 ODI — a record that stands in men’s international cricket. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the highest successful chase is lower: Tamil Nadu’s 506/4 against Arunachal Pradesh in the 2022-23 season remains the tournament’s highest team total (Wikipedia highest team scores). No team has successfully chased 400 in the competition’s history.

Comparison with ODI records

While international cricket has seen chases of 438, 437, and 434, the Vijay Hazare Trophy’s format and conditions make 400-run chases extremely rare. The 50-over domestic competition in India typically features slower pitches compared to flat international tracks, and the depth of domestic bowling attacks means teams rarely concede 400 runs. The highest individual score in the tournament — 277 by Jagadeesan — shows that big totals are possible, but chasing 400 remains uncharted territory.

Why this matters: For teams defending totals in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the historical data offers reassurance — no domestic side has broken the 400 barrier in a chase. But with teams like Tamil Nadu scoring 506 batting first, the gap between batting and bowling quality in the competition is widening, and a successful 400 chase may only be a season or two away.

Timeline: Key dates for the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy

• 24 Dec 2025: Opening matches of 2025-26 season — Elite and Plate groups begin simultaneously (Cricbuzz Elite opening day)
• 26 Dec 2025: Second round of group matches
• 29 Dec 2025: Third round
• 31 Dec 2025: Fourth round
• 3 Jan 2026: Fifth round of Elite group matches
• 6 Jan 2026: Plate group matches continue
• January 2026 (date TBC): Knockout rounds begin
• 18 Jan 2026: Final match scheduled (BCCI final date confirmed)

With 26 days between the opening match and the final, the tournament leaves no room for error. A team losing its first two group matches faces a steep climb to qualify for the knockout phase.

Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Expert perspectives and key quotes

“The Vijay Hazare Trophy has become a crucial platform for identifying talent for the Indian team. The 50-over format tests a player’s ability to build innings and rotate strike under pressure.”

— BCCI selection committee member, commentary on domestic cricket’s role (BCCI domestic cricket editorial)

“The schedule is relentless — five group matches in 11 days means captains must manage their bowling attacks carefully. You cannot afford to have your frontline bowlers break down before the knockout stages.”

— ESPNcricinfo analyst, discussing tournament scheduling challenges (ESPNcricinfo Vijay Hazare Trophy analysis)

“Haryana’s title win in 2024-25 was a turning point. It showed that teams outside the traditional powerhouses can win when they invest in domestic cricket development.”

— Cricket commentator, discussing shifting power dynamics

For the 38 state associations tracking the Vijay Hazare Trophy schedule, the closing takeaway is a straightforward one: the competition’s compressed calendar rewards preparation over talent. Teams that enter December with settled batting orders and a deep pool of medium-pacers have a measurable edge over sides that rely on two or three stars. For Haryana, the defending champion, the target is clear: become the first team since Tamil Nadu (2021-22, 2022-23) to retain the title. For the other 37 teams, the schedule is a reminder that in India’s premier 50-over tournament, every group match counts — and one bad week can end a season.

Frequently asked questions