The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the final of the Duleep Trophy for the 2026–27 season will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai instead of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. This change means that fans will have the chance to watch the exciting final live in person.
The five-day match is scheduled for September 6 to 10. The decision to shift the venue was made due to restrictions set by the government regarding public access to the CoE campus in Bengaluru.
BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia mentioned that this move shows the board’s dedication to ensuring that domestic cricket matches are accessible to the fans. “The Duleep Trophy is a key first-class tournament in our schedule and has a long-standing reputation. We want our supporters to experience the final live at the stadium,” Saikia said.
He added that there are certain limitations on crowd sizes at the CoE, which led them to choose a location where fans could join in the festivities.
While the final is moving to Chennai, all earlier matches—including the quarter-finals and semi-finals—will still be held at the CoE in Bengaluru but without any spectators. Saikia previously explained that the rules at the campus prevent the BCCI from allowing the public to attend these earlier matches.
The tournament is set to kick off on August 23 with two quarter-final matches: East Zone will play against North East Zone, and North Zone will face West Zone. The defending champions, Central Zone, along with last year’s runners-up, South Zone, have automatically qualified for the semi-finals starting on August 30.
In addition to allowing fans to attend the final, the BCCI will also be expanding its broadcast options for the 2026–27 season. All matches in the tournament will be live-streamed, and there will be television coverage for one quarter-final, one semi-final, and the final.
These changes come after feedback from fans during the 2025–26 season, which saw all matches played without spectators at the CoE and offered limited broadcast options. Central Zone will enter this year’s tournament as champions after their victory against South Zone in the last final.
Quarter-Finals (August 23–26)
East Zone vs. North East Zone — CoE Ground 2, Bengaluru
North Zone vs. West Zone — CoE Ground 1, Bengaluru
Semi-Finals (August 30–September 2)
Central Zone vs. TBC — CoE Ground 1, Bengaluru
South Zone vs. TBC — CoE Ground 2, Bengaluru
Final (September 6–10)
TBC vs. TBC — MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
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