LAHORE (Dunya News) - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced its 2025–26 domestic cricket calendar, featuring a refreshed structure aimed at boosting competition and rewarding performance.
The season kicks off with the Hanif Mohammad Trophy on August 15, to be contested across Karachi, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Rahim Yar Khan. Twelve regional teams have been split into two groups for a 31-match league stage. The top two teams will earn qualification to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, making the path to first-class cricket more merit-driven.
The flagship Quaid-e-Azam Trophy begins September 22, with eight teams — including six direct entries and two Hanif Trophy qualifiers — competing in a single-league format. The final is slated for November 3–7, with matches taking place in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Key Teams and Pools
Hanif Mohammad Trophy participants:
Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, FATA, Lahore Blues, Hyderabad, Karachi Blues, Karachi Whites, Multan, Quetta, D.M. Jamali, AJK, and Larkana.
Direct entries in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy:
Lahore Whites, Sialkot, Peshawar, Islamabad, Abbottabad, and Bahawalpur.
National T20 Shake-Up
This year, the National T20 Cup will include a qualifying round for 10 regional teams:
Abbottabad, Multan, Quetta, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, FATA, Larkana, D.M. Jamali, and AJK.
The top two teams will join eight automatic qualifiers in the Super 10 stage, to be held in Faisalabad from March 1–12. Auto-qualified teams include:
Karachi Whites, Lahore Whites, Peshawar, Karachi Blues, Sialkot, Islamabad, and Faisalabad.
The domestic structure also includes four key departmental tournaments, President’s Trophy (First-Class), President’s Cup (One-Day), and President’s Trophy Grade II & III.
Age-group cricket is another highlight, with Under-15, Under-17, and Under-19 national tournaments scheduled across one-day and multi-day formats.
Men’s domestic tournaments' tentative schedule as per PCB:
• National U19 Cup: 1-16 Sep (18 teams, 49 matches, one-day, nine venues) • Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: 22 Sep to 7 Nov (eight teams, 29 matches, four-day, four venues) • President’s Cup: 24 Nov to 10 Dec (eight teams, 31 matches, four venues) • President’s Trophy: 15 Dec to 30 Jan 2026 (eight teams, 29 matches, four venues) • National T20 Qualifier: 3-11 Feb 2026 (12 teams, 30 matches, six venues) • National T20 Super 10: 1-12 Mar 2026 (10 teams, 23 matches, one venue) • National U17 ODI Cup: 28 Mar to 12 Apr 2026 (18 teams, 49 matches, nine venues) • National U15 ODI Cup: 16 Apr to 1 May 2026 (18 teams, 49 matches, nine venues) • President’s Trophy Grade II (Three-Day): 28 Mar to 3 May 2026 (14 teams, 46 matches, six venues) • President’s Trophy Grade III (Two-Day): 28 Mar to 23 Apr 2026 (14 teams, 46 matches, six venues) • Regional Inter-District U19: 28 Mar to 10 April 2026 (110 matches) • Challenge League (Two-Day): 1 Oct to 10 Nov 2025 • Regional Inter-District Senior: 10 May to 10 Jun 2026 • Club Cricket Tournament: Nov 2025 to Jun 2026 • School Cricket: Sep-Oct 2025 • College Cricket: Oct-Nov 2025 • University Cricket: Nov-Dec 2025