Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2026-27 Preview: Schedule, Groups, Opening Fixtures and Stars to Watch
India’s domestic women’s season takes centre stage on Monday, October 26, as the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2026-27 gets underway across the country. Thirty-seven teams, 134 matches and a Super League race that runs into November — this is the tournament where the next generation of India Women stars announces itself. Defending champions Maharashtra return to protect a maiden title, record 11-time winners Railways want their crown back, and every Elite group has at least one heavyweight showdown on opening day.
Here is the complete Senior Women’s T20 Trophy preview: the schedule, the five groups, the venues, the opening-day fixtures and the players to watch.
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy schedule and tournament format
The 2026-27 edition runs from October 26 to November 20, 2026. The league stage is played between October 26 and November 6, after which the top two teams from each Elite group advance to the Super League. The Super League decides the finalists for the final on November 20, with the knockout phase staged in Ahmedabad.
The field is split into 31 Elite teams and six Plate teams, divided into five groups — four Elite groups and one Plate group. In total, the tournament features 134 T20 matches, making it one of the biggest women’s domestic competitions in the world.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2026-27 |
| Dates | October 26 to November 20, 2026 |
| League stage | October 26 to November 6, 2026 |
| Teams | 37 (31 Elite, 6 Plate) |
| Groups | Five (Elite A, B, C, D and Plate) |
| Total matches | 134 |
| Super League | Top two from each Elite group |
| Final | November 20, 2026, Ahmedabad |
| Defending champions | Maharashtra |
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy groups: all five groups explained
Each Elite group plays a round-robin, so every side gets a full run of league fixtures before the Super League cut. The Plate group gives the six smaller associations their own competitive route through the tournament.
| Group | Teams |
|---|---|
| Elite A | Maharashtra, Assam, Karnataka, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir |
| Elite B | Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Baroda, Saurashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra, Odisha |
| Elite C | Railways, Tripura, Vidarbha, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Sikkim, Kerala |
| Elite D | Delhi, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry |
| Plate | Bihar, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur |
Elite Group A looks the most open on paper: defending champions Maharashtra, a strong Bengal side and a Karnataka team that always produces T20 talent. Elite Group C carries the history — Railways and former champions Punjab in the same pool — while Elite Group D pits Delhi, Mumbai and Jharkhand against each other from the very first day.
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy venues for the league stage
The Elite league matches are spread across four main regions: Surat, Mohali and New Chandigarh, Lucknow and Pune. Surat hosts games at the C K Pithawala Ground and the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Lucknow at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, and Pune at Deccan Gymkhana and MCA Ground 2, with PCA venues around Mohali and New Chandigarh completing the set. The Plate division is staged in Sovima, Nagaland, while the knockout phase moves to Ahmedabad.
Two venue notes matter for opening day. Bengal play all seven of their league fixtures at the same venue in Delhi, starting against Karnataka on October 26. Hyderabad, meanwhile, play their Elite matches in Pune from October 26, led by captain Pranavi Chandra.
Defending champions Maharashtra and the tournament’s history
First held in the 2008-09 season, the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy — previously known as the Senior Women’s T20 League — has grown into the main shop window for India’s domestic women’s talent. Railways have dominated its history with a record 11 titles, a run that Delhi ended in 2017-18 before Punjab claimed the championship in 2018-19. Railways returned to the top in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Mumbai then won their maiden title in 2023-24 and defended it successfully in 2024-25. Maharashtra enter the 2026-27 season as defending champions after securing their first title in the previous edition, so the crown has changed hands in each of the last three seasons — a reminder that no favourite can coast through the league stage.
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy opening day fixtures on October 26
The opening day throws up a full round of fixtures across the groups. Among the matches scheduled for Monday, October 26 are:
- Bengal vs Karnataka — Elite Group A, Delhi
- Chandigarh vs Chhattisgarh — Elite Group A
- Maharashtra vs Assam — Elite Group A
- Jammu & Kashmir vs Goa — Elite Group A
- Himachal Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh — Elite Group B
- Baroda vs Saurashtra — Elite Group B
- Rajasthan vs Haryana — Elite Group B
- Andhra vs Odisha — Elite Group B
- Railways vs Tripura — Elite Group C
- Vidarbha vs Gujarat — Elite Group C
- Tamil Nadu vs Punjab — Elite Group C
- Sikkim vs Kerala — Elite Group C
- Jharkhand vs Mumbai — Elite Group D
- Delhi vs Uttarakhand — Elite Group D
- Hyderabad vs Uttar Pradesh — Elite Group D, Pune
- Manipur vs Bihar — Plate
The pick of the opening day is Bengal vs Karnataka in Delhi — two sides with genuine title ambitions meeting before either has found rhythm — followed by Jharkhand vs Mumbai in Elite Group D and Railways vs Tripura, where the record champions begin another title hunt.
Players to watch in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy
Delhi have named Soni Yadav as captain, with Shweta Sehrawat as vice-captain and wicketkeeper. Their 16-member squad also includes Priya Punia, Tanisha Singh, Priya Mishra and Shivi Sharma — a mix of experience and young pace and spin options that makes Delhi one of the Elite Group D favourites.
Hyderabad will be led by V Pranavi Chandra, with M Mamtha as vice-captain and wicketkeeper. Gongadi Trisha is the name to track in that squad — one of the most talked-about young batters in Indian domestic cricket — alongside a settled core that knows the Pune conditions well.
Bengal’s campaign is worth following beyond the scoreline: after Karnataka on October 26, they face Chhattisgarh on October 27, Jammu & Kashmir on October 29, Goa on October 31, Maharashtra on November 2, Chandigarh on November 4 and Assam on November 6, all at the same Delhi venue. Back-to-back games with barely a day between them will test squad depth as much as form, and Bengal’s handling of that run could decide Elite Group A.
Elsewhere, keep an eye on the Railways machine — 11 titles do not happen by accident — and on Maharashtra’s title defence, which begins against Assam. In a tournament that has produced a different champion in each of the last three seasons, the early Super League race is genuinely open.
Why the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy matters this season
For players, this is the most direct route to higher honours in Indian women’s cricket. A big league stage — a match-winning fifty, a four-wicket haul, a calm finish under pressure — is exactly what selectors notice, and the Super League format means the best sides face each other again when the stakes are highest.
For fans, the timing is perfect: the tournament opens in the same week as Ranji Trophy Round 3, so India’s domestic season is running on two fronts at once. And with the India Women vs Zimbabwe Women ODI series also concluding this week — read our India Women vs Zimbabwe Women 2nd ODI prediction — women’s cricket has a full shop window over the next fortnight.
The league stage runs to November 6, the Super League follows, and the final is set for November 20. By then, we will know whether Maharashtra can retain the crown, whether Railways can add a 12th title, or whether a new name joins the recent list of first-time champions.
Senior Women’s T20 Trophy FAQs
When does the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy 2026-27 start?
The tournament starts on Monday, October 26, 2026, with the league stage running to November 6 and the final scheduled for November 20, 2026.
How many teams play in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy?
Thirty-seven teams take part — 31 Elite teams and six Plate teams — divided into five groups, with 134 matches in total.
Who are the defending champions?
Maharashtra are the defending champions, having won their maiden title in the previous edition. Railways remain the most successful side in the tournament’s history with 11 titles.
How does the Super League work?
The top two teams from each Elite group advance to the Super League, which decides the finalists for the November 20 final in Ahmedabad.
Where are the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy matches played?
Elite league matches are staged in Surat, Mohali and New Chandigarh, Lucknow and Pune, the Plate division is played in Sovima, Nagaland, and the knockout phase moves to Ahmedabad.