Complete list of winners of Duleep Trophy from 1961–2026

The Duleep Trophy is one of India’s most prestigious domestic first-class cricket tournaments. The first season was played in 1961–62 and the tournament was named after the legendary Indian cricketer Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji. Over the years, it has featured several talented players who later represented India at the international level, including some of the country’s biggest cricketing stars.

The tournament has changed its format several times during its long history. It was traditionally played between India’s major zones, including North, South, East, West and Central Zone. Between 2016 and 2019, the competition briefly featured teams named India Blue, India Red and India Green before returning to the zonal format.

Central Zone entered the 2025–26 season as the defending champion after defeating South Zone in the final. The team has won the Duleep Trophy several times, including in 1971–72, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2004–05 and 2014–15. West Zone won the inaugural edition in 1961–62, while North Zone remains one of the most successful teams in the competition’s history.

Throughout this article, we will share complete details about the Duleep Trophy winners from 1961 to 2026, including the champions, runners-up, and important highlights from each edition of the tournament.

List of all Duleep Trophy teams

The Duleep Trophy is a first-class cricket tournament in which teams have traditionally been divided into five geographical zones of India: North, South, East, West, and Central. However, the tournament has used different formats at various times. In the 2002–03 edition, for example, the teams were selected based on the Ranji Trophy groups and were named Elite Group A, Elite Group B, Elite Group C, Plate Group A, Plate Group B, and Plate Group C.

The tournament also moved away from the traditional zonal format for four consecutive editions from 2016–17 to 2019–20. During this period, the teams were named India Red, India Blue, and India Green. These teams were selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give top domestic players an opportunity to compete at a high level and strengthen their chances of earning national selection. In 2024, the format changed again, with the teams named India A, India B, India C, and India D.

 See also - 5 batters to watch out for in Duleep Trophy 2026/27

The first-ever Duleep Trophy final was played between South Zone and West Zone, with West Zone winning by 10 wickets to become the inaugural champions. Legendary Indian off-spinner Polly Umrigar played a key role in the victory by taking six wickets in the first innings. In the 2024 edition, India A won the tournament after defeating India C by 132 runs in the final. Middle-order batter Shashwat Rawat was named Player of the Match after scoring 124 runs in the first innings and 53 runs in the second innings.

Duleep Trophy winners: year-by-year list (1961–62 to 2025–26)

The Duleep Trophy is one of the most prestigious first-class cricket tournaments in India. The competition began in 1961–62 and has featured some of the country’s finest domestic cricketers over the years. The tournament has traditionally been played between India’s five zones — North, South, East, West and Central — although different formats and team structures have been used in some seasons.

West Zone won the inaugural Duleep Trophy in 1961–62 and remains one of the most successful teams in the tournament’s history. North Zone and South Zone have also enjoyed long periods of success, while Central Zone, East Zone and the representative India teams have won the competition in different editions. The tournament was not held in 2015–16, 2020–21 and 2021–22.

See also -Duleep Trophy 2026/27: Full schedule, squads, timings and where to watch — Everything you need to know

The Duleep Trophy has also gone through several format changes. India Blue, India Red and India Green competed between 2016–17 and 2019–20, while the 2024–25 edition featured India A, India B, India C and India D. The following table provides the year-by-year list of Duleep Trophy winners from the inaugural 1961–62 season through the 2025–26 season.

Duleep Trophy 2025–26: Central Zone's latest triumph

The 2025–26 Duleep Trophy was the 62nd edition of the tournament and was played from 28 August to 15 September 2025. The competition returned to the traditional zonal format, with six teams taking part: Central Zone, East Zone, North Zone, North East Zone, South Zone, and West Zone. The squads were selected by the national selectors and the tournament was part of the 2025 Indian domestic cricket season announced by the BCCI.

Central Zone emerged as the champions of the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy after defeating South Zone in the final. The victory added another title to Central Zone's growing record in the competition and continued its strong performances in recent editions.