PCB unveils comprehensive domestic cricket season for 2025‑26

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially revealed an expansive schedule for the 2025–26 domestic cricket season, highlighting a robust calendar featuring 21 tournaments, including regional, departmental, and grassroots competitions across all formats.

The men’s domestic season features a total of 131 first-class games, 37 List-A matches, and 119 T20 encounters, beginning with the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I in January–February.

Key tournaments include:

• March – National T20 Cup, featuring 18 regional teams.
   
• April–May – President’s Trophy Grade-II (non-first-class) alongside PSL Season 10.
   
• September–October – Top-tier red-ball contests: Quaid-e-Azam Trophy & Champions Four-Day Cup.
   
• November–December – 50-over President’s Cup Grade-I, followed by the second Champions T20 Cup in December.
   
• January 2026 – Champions U19 One-Day Tournament wraps up the cycle.
   

The PCB has revamped U-age categories—introducing U15 and U17 events, and consolidating existing U19 national cups into a full-fledged Champions U19 Cup and Trophy. Over 10,000 matches will be played across club, school, college, university, and regional levels in 2025.

Abdullah Khurram Niazi, Director of Domestic Cricket Operations, emphasised that the wide-ranging calendar “ensures a balance between competitive cricket and player development, preparing them for national and international stages”.

The new structure better aligns with the PCB's aim to elevate first-class cricket—the backbone of Test talent development—while ensuring white-ball specialists flourish through T20 and one-day formats .

Format	Tournaments & Window
First-class	President’s Trophy Grade-I (Jan–Feb) Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (Sep–Oct)<br>Champions Four-Day Cup (Sep–Oct)
One-Day List A	President’s Cup Grade-I (Nov–Dec) Champions U19 Cup (Jan 2026)
T20	National T20 Cup (Mar)<br>PSL Season 10 (Apr–May)<br>Champions T20 Cup (Dec)
Development (U15–U19)	U15, U17 One-Day (Feb) National U19 Cup (Sep) Champions U19 Events (Oct–Nov)
Grassroots & Pathways	Club/School/University/Collegiate (~10,000 matches)

• Age-group restructuring aims to give young talent an uninterrupted developmental pathway.
   
• The Champions events are designed to bridge domestic and international pipelines, offering competitive exposure before senior selection.
   
• A mid‑season pause during PSL will see regions host fitness and conditioning camps to prepare players for second-half competitions.
   

The PCB’s 2025–26 domestic season is Pakistan’s most ambitious schedule to date—balancing rigorous red-ball programs with white-ball tournaments and player development initiatives. By expanding opportunities from age 15 through senior play, the board aims to raise standards, build depth, and ensure a steady supply of match-ready talent for Pakistan’s international future.