Ranji Trophy: Brabourne Stadium to be Railways home venue in 2026-27 season
toi
newspoint|16-09-2026
MUMBAI: In a first, the iconic Brabourne Stadium at the Cricket Club of India here will be the home venue of Railways in the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy .
In the past, the Railways have played their home Ranji Trophy matches at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi.
Placed in Elite Group D, Railways will play their three 2026-27 Ranji Trophy home ties at the Brabourne Stadium-their season-the opening match against Uttarakhand from Oct 11-14, the big game against 42-time champions Mumbai (it will be an away game for Mumbai!) from Nov 2-5, and then against Haryana from Jan 17-20.
This will be the first time the Brabourne Stadium will stage a Ranji Trophy match in more than three years. The historic venue last staged a Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Maharashtra from Jan 24-27, 2023. The match ended in a draw.
"I'm truly happy that the Ranji Trophy is returning to the CCI. The Brabourne Stadium has staged the maximum number of Ranji Trophy finals (16) in India. There's a replica of the Ranji Trophy in the CCI main hall, which was kept by former BCCI and CCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur many years back. So, there has always been a special and cherished relationship between Brabourne stadium CCI's senior member and well-known cricket lover Sachin Bajaj told TOI on Saturday.
"My old friend Syed Zakaria Zuffri (former Assam and Railways ‘keeper-batsman and current Railways head coach) requested to me if the CCI could stage Railways' home Ranji Trophy matches in the upcoming season. I asked him to contact CCI's Cricket committee vice-chairman Mayank Khandwala in this regard. I must appreciate the efforts of Mayank and the CCI cricket committee in making this happen," he added.
"It is a matter of immense pride and great emotion for all of us at the Cricket Club of India to welcome the Ranji Trophy back to Brabourne Stadium after a significant interval. Cricket at CCI is not merely a sport, it is part of the Club’s identity, its heritage and its soul. For generations, Brabourne Stadium has witnessed some of the finest moments in Indian cricket and has been privileged to host legendary players, great teams and memorable encounters. The Ranji Trophy has always held a very special place in that extraordinary history. The return of first-class cricket to CCI is therefore much more than the staging of a few matches. It is the revival of a proud cricketing tradition and the reopening of a historic chapter. We are particularly delighted that Railways have chosen CCI as their home ground. We are honoured to partner with them and are committed to providing the players, officials and spectators with the very best facilities and an environment befitting the stature of the Ranji Trophy," Khandwala told TOI.
"As the vice-chairman of the Cricket Committee at CCI, I believe strongly that our responsibility is not only to preserve the magnificent cricketing legacy of this institution, but also to keep that legacy alive for the next generation. Bringing premier domestic cricket back to Brabourne is an important part of that vision. The Ranji Trophy represents the foundation of Indian cricket. It is where talent is tested, characters are built and future international stars begin their journey. To have that journey once again unfolding at CCI is something we should all celebrate. The Brabourne Stadium has a history that speaks for itself. Now, we look forward to creating the next chapter. On behalf of CCI, we extend a warm welcome to Railways, the players, support staff, match officials, the BCCI and, most importantly, cricket lovers who will return to CCI to experience the magic of first-class cricket. The Ranji Trophy is coming home to CCI. The heritage continues, and the next chapter begins," he added.
The Railways team playing its home ties in the Ranji Trophy in the upcoming season is another step forward in cricket returning to CCI. Earlier this month, the International Cricket Council had announced that India will stage the inaugural edition of the six-team inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, with matches scheduled between 14-28 Feb, 2027 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and the Kotambi Stadium Vadodara.
It’s learnt that the CCI is currently installing new floodlights at the Brabourne Stadium. “We are in the process of installing new floodlights at the stadium. We’ll commission the new lights by Oct 10-15,” Khandwala said.
The Railways have clinched the coveted Ranji Trophy twice in the past -in 2001–02 and 2004–05. However, they've met with little success in recent years, and failed to move beyond the league stage of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, finishing fourth in Elite Group C with 23 points in seven matches.
In the past, the Railways have played their home Ranji Trophy matches at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi.
Placed in Elite Group D, Railways will play their three 2026-27 Ranji Trophy home ties at the Brabourne Stadium-their season-the opening match against Uttarakhand from Oct 11-14, the big game against 42-time champions Mumbai (it will be an away game for Mumbai!) from Nov 2-5, and then against Haryana from Jan 17-20.
This will be the first time the Brabourne Stadium will stage a Ranji Trophy match in more than three years. The historic venue last staged a Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Maharashtra from Jan 24-27, 2023. The match ended in a draw.
"I'm truly happy that the Ranji Trophy is returning to the CCI. The Brabourne Stadium has staged the maximum number of Ranji Trophy finals (16) in India. There's a replica of the Ranji Trophy in the CCI main hall, which was kept by former BCCI and CCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur many years back. So, there has always been a special and cherished relationship between Brabourne stadium CCI's senior member and well-known cricket lover Sachin Bajaj told TOI on Saturday.
"My old friend Syed Zakaria Zuffri (former Assam and Railways ‘keeper-batsman and current Railways head coach) requested to me if the CCI could stage Railways' home Ranji Trophy matches in the upcoming season. I asked him to contact CCI's Cricket committee vice-chairman Mayank Khandwala in this regard. I must appreciate the efforts of Mayank and the CCI cricket committee in making this happen," he added.
"It is a matter of immense pride and great emotion for all of us at the Cricket Club of India to welcome the Ranji Trophy back to Brabourne Stadium after a significant interval. Cricket at CCI is not merely a sport, it is part of the Club’s identity, its heritage and its soul. For generations, Brabourne Stadium has witnessed some of the finest moments in Indian cricket and has been privileged to host legendary players, great teams and memorable encounters. The Ranji Trophy has always held a very special place in that extraordinary history. The return of first-class cricket to CCI is therefore much more than the staging of a few matches. It is the revival of a proud cricketing tradition and the reopening of a historic chapter. We are particularly delighted that Railways have chosen CCI as their home ground. We are honoured to partner with them and are committed to providing the players, officials and spectators with the very best facilities and an environment befitting the stature of the Ranji Trophy," Khandwala told TOI.
"As the vice-chairman of the Cricket Committee at CCI, I believe strongly that our responsibility is not only to preserve the magnificent cricketing legacy of this institution, but also to keep that legacy alive for the next generation. Bringing premier domestic cricket back to Brabourne is an important part of that vision. The Ranji Trophy represents the foundation of Indian cricket. It is where talent is tested, characters are built and future international stars begin their journey. To have that journey once again unfolding at CCI is something we should all celebrate. The Brabourne Stadium has a history that speaks for itself. Now, we look forward to creating the next chapter. On behalf of CCI, we extend a warm welcome to Railways, the players, support staff, match officials, the BCCI and, most importantly, cricket lovers who will return to CCI to experience the magic of first-class cricket. The Ranji Trophy is coming home to CCI. The heritage continues, and the next chapter begins," he added.
The Railways team playing its home ties in the Ranji Trophy in the upcoming season is another step forward in cricket returning to CCI. Earlier this month, the International Cricket Council had announced that India will stage the inaugural edition of the six-team inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027, with matches scheduled between 14-28 Feb, 2027 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and the Kotambi Stadium Vadodara.
It’s learnt that the CCI is currently installing new floodlights at the Brabourne Stadium. “We are in the process of installing new floodlights at the stadium. We’ll commission the new lights by Oct 10-15,” Khandwala said.
The Railways have clinched the coveted Ranji Trophy twice in the past -in 2001–02 and 2004–05. However, they've met with little success in recent years, and failed to move beyond the league stage of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, finishing fourth in Elite Group C with 23 points in seven matches.
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