The Vidarbha Premier League 2026 is back and bigger than ever. Six franchises are locked in battle at VCA Jamtha Stadium, Nagpur from 1–14 June 2026, making the VPL one of the most exciting state T20 leagues in India.
Defending champions NECO Master Blaster headline a field packed with IPL stars, seasoned Vidarbha veterans, and emerging local talent.
Whether you’re tracking squads for fantasy cricket or following the live action, this complete guide to all Vidarbha Premier League 2026 teams has you covered.
VPL 2026 Teams at a Glance
The Vidarbha Premier League (VPL) 2026 features six teams competing for the championship. Here’s a quick overview of all participating teams and their journey throughout the tournament.
| Team | Captain | Coach/Mentor | VPL 2025 Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| NECO Master Blaster | Jitesh Sharma | Harsh Dubey | Champions |
| Pagariya Strikers | Yash Kadam | Lalit Yadav | Runners-up |
| Bharat Rangers | Atharva Taide | Danish Malewar | League Stage |
| India Warriors | Akshay Wadkar | Darshan Nalkande | League Stage |
| Nagpur Heroz | Yash Thakur | Umesh Yadav | League Stage |
| Orange Tigers | Akshay Karnewar | Yash Rathod | League Stage |
1. NECO Master Blaster — Defending Champions
NECO Master Blaster enter VPL 2026 as the team to beat after their 7-wicket title win in 2025. Jitesh Sharma leads the side once his IPL 2026 final duties with RCB conclude, with Adhyayan Daga captaining early games.
Key Players:
- Jitesh Sharma (C, WK) — India T20I finisher
- Harsh Dubey — on India duty, joins later
- Aryan Meshram, Shanmesh Deshmukh, Vedant Dighade
Full Squad: Jitesh Sharma, Adhyayan Daga, Aryan Meshram, Shanmesh Deshmukh, Ananmay Jayaswal, Vedant Dighade, Vaibhav Chandekar, Abhishek Gupta, Shantanu Rajput, Dipesh Parwani, Harsh Dubey, Avinash Jadhav, Arya Durugkar, Gaurav Dhoble, Gaurav Farde, Kush Khandelwal
2. Pagariya Strikers — Title Contenders
Runners-up in 2025, Pagariya Strikers return hungry. Lalit Yadav (13 wickets in VPL 2025) spearheads the attack, while R. Samarth leads the early run charts with 101 runs.
Key Players:
- Yash Kadam (C) — lead all-rounder
- Lalit Yadav — tournament’s top wicket-taker in 2025
- R. Samarth, Mohd Faiz Sheikh, Shivam Deshmukh
Full Squad: Yash Kadam, Lalit Yadav, Sooraj Rai, Pushpak Gujar, Mohd Faiz Sheikh, Aditya Ahuja, R. Sanjay, R. Samarth, Shivam Deshmukh, Virendra Patel, Kaustubh Salve, Sanskar Chavate, Updesh Rajput, Dhruv Pise, Laksh Sangar, Jasvindrasingh Tak
3. Bharat Rangers — IPL Pedigree Meets Local Firepower
Atharva Taide (ex-PBKS, SRH) anchors the top order alongside Danish Malewar, VPL 2025’s leading run-scorer with 120 runs.
Key Players:
- Atharva Taide (C) — IPL-experienced left-hander
- Danish Malewar — 120 runs in VPL 2025
- Aditya Sarvate, Hrusikesh Pawar, Mandar Ghodmare
Full Squad: Atharva Taide, Shubham Kapse, Manan Agrawal, Danish Malewar, Varun Bist, Nachiket Bhute, Hrusikesh Pawar, Aditya Sarvate, Jagjot Sasan, Varun Palandurkar, Aniket Pande, Sanyog Bhagwat, Vedant Jajoo, Rohit Dattaraya, Mandar Ghodmare, Kunal Kungwani
4. India Warriors — Ranji Core, IPL Experience
Ranji Trophy captain Akshay Wadkar leads a well-balanced Warriors unit anchored by Gujarat Titans alum Darshan Nalkande with the ball.
Key Players:
- Akshay Wadkar (C, WK) — Vidarbha’s Ranji captain
- Darshan Nalkande — IPL-experienced pace bowler
- Shubham Dubey, Praful Hinge, Vaibhav Lande
Full Squad: Akshay Wadkar, Shubham Dubey, Satyam Bhoyar, Rahul Dongarwar, Sahil Sheikh, Darshan Nalkande, Kunal Nagar, Vaibhav Lande, Praful Hinge, Gurdeep Singh Sodhi, Abhishek Agrawal, Ashit Singh, Shree Choudhary, Alok Wadkar, Sabbamitta Gavai, Aayush Kumar
5. Nagpur Heroz — Nastiest Pace Attack in the Tournament
Umesh Yadav and Yash Thakur make Nagpur Heroz the most feared bowling unit in VPL 2026. Add Rajneesh Gurbani and opposition top orders are in serious trouble.
Key Players:
- Yash Thakur (C) — India and LSG fast bowler
- Umesh Yadav — veteran India pacer
- Rajneesh Gurbani, Siddhesh Wath, Iknoor Singh Bhamra
Full Squad: Siddhesh Wath, Yash Thakur, Parth Rekhade, Aman Mokhade, Tejas Soni, Apoorv Wankhade, Rajneesh Gurbani, Umesh Yadav, Ankush Tammiwar, Akash Kombe, Tushar Suryavanshi, Iknoor Singh Bhamra, Rishab Borkar, Kartik Rathod, Sandesh Durugwar, Siddhant Muley
6. Orange Tigers — Spin-Heavy Dark Horses
Akshay Karnewar, India’s rare ambidextrous bowler, captains a spin-first Orange Tigers side. Dhruv Shorey brings Ranji Trophy class and former India A experience to the top order.
Key Players:
- Akshay Karnewar (C) — left-arm spinner and Vidarbha stalwart
- Yash Rathod — Ranji Trophy-winning middle-order bat
- Dhruv Shorey, Saurabh Dubey, Kshitiz Dahiya
Full Squad: Akshay Karnewar, Saurabh Dubey, Kshitiz Dahiya, Yash Rathod, Rohit Binkar, Vishesh Ram Tiwari, Dhruv Shorey, Mandar Mahale, Shantanu Chikhale, Akshay Dullarwar, Arjun Harish Inghle, Addhyan Rauthan, Akshay G Agarwal, Hardik Verma, Atharva Podutwar, Shreyash Padole
VPL 2026 Format & Broadcast
The Vidarbha Premier League (VPL) 2026 follows a league-stage format, with teams competing for a place in the knockout rounds. Fans can watch the matches live through the tournament’s official broadcast and streaming partners.
- Venue: VCA Jamtha International Stadium, Nagpur
- Format: Double round-robin (21 league games) → Top 4 playoffs → Final on 14 June
- TV: Sony Sports Network (TEN 5)
- Streaming: JioHotstar
Conclusion: All Six Vidarbha Premier League 2026 Teams Are Ready for Battle!
All six Vidarbha Premier League 2026 teams bring something different to the table, making this one of the most competitive seasons in the tournament’s short history.
NECO Master Blaster have the star power to defend, Pagariya Strikers have the hunger to finally lift the trophy, and Nagpur Heroz’s pace attack could tear through any lineup on a Nagpur surface.
With 25 matches across 14 days, the VPL 2026 promises wall-to-wall T20 action — don’t miss a single game.
