How to watch Kerala Cricket League 2026 for free? Know full schedule, teams, auction, venue and more

The Kerala Cricket League (KCL) 2026 is set to return with another exciting season of franchise T20 cricket. Organised by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), the tournament was launched to provide a platform for Kerala's top domestic cricketers. Six franchises will compete for the title as fans look forward to another action-packed season.

One of the biggest highlights of this year's tournament is the appointment of Sanju Samson as the KCL 2026 Tournament Icon. Although he will not take part in the competition due to prior commitments, the India wicketkeeper-batter will serve as the league's ambassador and help promote cricket across the state. The tournament is expected to follow the same format as previous editions, with the top teams advancing to the playoffs.

In this article, you can find everything you need to know about the Kerala Cricket League 2026, including the full schedule, match dates, teams, venue, auction, live streaming details, and other important updates ahead of the new season.

Kerala Cricket League 2026 format and previous winners

The Kerala Cricket League (KCL) is a franchise-based T20 tournament organised by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). Launched in 2024, the league features six teams representing different regions of Kerala. The tournament follows a double round-robin format, where each team plays every other team twice during the league stage. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs, followed by Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Final.

Kerala Cricket League winners list:

The inaugural edition was won by Aries Kollam Sailors, who defeated Calicut Globstars by six wickets in the 2024 final. In 2025, Kochi Blue Tigers lifted their maiden KCL title after beating Aries Kollam Sailors by 75 runs. The 2026 season promises another exciting battle as all six teams aim to become Kerala Cricket League champions.

Kerala Cricket League 2026 full schedule

The Kerala Cricket League 2026 schedule has not been officially announced yet. The tournament is expected to be played during the August-September window, with the new season likely to begin on August 20, 2026. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is expected to release the complete fixture list closer to the start of the tournament.

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The official match schedule, venues, timings, live streaming details, and ticket information will be announced by the KCA in the coming weeks. Fans can stay tuned for the latest updates as soon as the full Kerala Cricket League 2026 schedule is released.

Kerala Cricket League 2026 auction details

The Kerala Cricket League 2026 auction was held in Thiruvananthapuram, where all six franchises completed their squads for the third edition of the tournament. A total of 173 players were registered for the auction. Out of them, 17 players were retained, while the remaining 156 players were divided into Categories A, B, and C for the auction.

The auction featured several high-value signings as teams strengthened their squads for the upcoming season. Sibin Gireesh became the most expensive player after Alleppey Ripples signed him for ₹11.80 lakh. Krishna Devan was bought by Calicut Globstars for ₹11.20 lakh, while experienced batter Sachin Baby joined Alleppey Ripples for ₹10 lakh, making him the third-most expensive player in the auction.

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Each franchise had a ₹50 lakh purse and was allowed to build a squad of 16 to 20 players. Other notable signings included Abdul Bazith, Vishnu Vinod, Ajnas M, and MD Nidheesh, while Trivandrum Royals retained Nikhil M using the Right to Match card. The Kerala Cricket League 2026 is expected to be held from August 20 to September 5, with all teams aiming to compete for the title.

Kerala Cricket League 2026 live streaming and broadcast details

Fans in India will be able to watch the Kerala Cricket League 2026 live on Star Sports, which will broadcast the matches on television. The official broadcast schedule and channel numbers are expected to be announced before the tournament begins.

For online viewers, the matches will be available on the FanCode app and website through live streaming. Fans can follow every match live on their mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and smart TVs once the tournament gets underway.

Kerala Cricket League 2026 Complete Squads

The Kerala Cricket League 2026 features six franchises that have finalized their squads after the player auction. Each team has built a balanced squad by combining experienced domestic players with exciting young talent. The tournament is expected to provide another excellent platform for Kerala's cricketers to showcase their skills.

Here are the complete squads of all six teams:

Aries Kollam Sailors: N.M. Sharafuddeen, Abhishek J Nair, Pawan Raj, Vijay Viswanath, MD Nidheesh, Anand Krishnan, Ajnas M, Mohammed Ishaque, Midhun S, Vathsal Govind, Arun Paulose, Ashik Muhammed, Amal AG, Sachin PS, Preethish Pavan, Amal Ramesh, Akhil KG, Monu Krishna, Arjun Venugopal.

Alleppey Ripples: Mohammed Azharuddeen, Jalaj Saxena, Sachin Baby, Abhijith Praveen, Akshay TK, Ajith Raj, Ajayghosh NS, Sibin Gireesh, Amal Raj R, Ashiq Ali, Ajnas K, Akhil Dev, Arun KA, Sreeroop MP, Akash Pillai, Vinil TS.

Calicut Globstars: Salman Nizar, Rohan S Kunnummal, Akhil Scaria, Harikrishnan MU, Abdul Bazith, Akhin Sathar, Varun Nayanar, Athif Bin Ashraf, Rahan Raheem, Ibnul Afthab, Afrad N, Krishna Devan, Aravind KS, Mohammed Kaif, Vignesh Puthur, Aswin Anand.

Kochi Blue Tigers: Saly Samson, Mohammed Ashiq, Basil Thampi, Asif KM, Alfi Francis John, Sachin Suresh, Jerin PS, Vinoop Manoharan, Midhun PK, Vipul Shakti, Karthik B Nair, Anish Rajan, Jobin Joby, Muhammed Shanu, Manu Krishnan, Eden Apple Tom, Anandhu Sunil, Akshay Chandran, Adhi Abhilash.

Thrissur Titans: Ahammad Imran, Shoun Roger, Aditya Vinod, A.K. Arjun, Biju Narayanan, Nikhil Thottath, Asif Salam, MS Akhil, Abdul Ramees P, Muhammed Irshad, Rohith KR, Nazal P, Sanjeev Satheeshan, Prasoon Prasad, Anand Joseph, Mohamed Enaan, Manav Krishna, Sarath Chandra Prasad, Sharon SS, Amay Manoj.

Trivandrum Royals: Krishna Prasad, Govind Dev Pai, V. Ajith, Abhishek P Nair, Vishnu Vinod, Vinod Kumar CV, Sijomon Joseph, Akshay Manohar, Basil NP, Rahul Chandran, Sreehari Nair, Nikhil M, Ajeesh K, Bharath Soorya, Ujjwal Krishna, Sudheesh Mohan.

The Kerala Cricket League 2026 is expected to begin on August 20, with all six teams looking to lift the trophy. The tournament will once again provide a great platform for Kerala's domestic cricketers to showcase their talent.