Six franchises compete in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2026: NECO Master Blaster, Pagariya Strikers, Bharat Rangers, India Warriors, Nagpur Heroz, and Orange Tigers.
The second season of the VCA T20 league runs from 1 to 14 June 2026 at the VCA Jamtha Stadium in Nagpur.
Defending champions NECO Master Blaster, led by Jitesh Sharma, kicked off the campaign against last season’s finalists, Pagariya Strikers. Here is every team, its captain, and full squad.
Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2026 Teams at a Glance
Before the squad breakdowns, here is a quick snapshot of all six VPL 2026 franchises, their captains, star players, and their 2025 finish.
| Team | Captain | 2025 Finish | Key Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| NECO Master Blaster | Jitesh Sharma | Champions | Harsh Dubey |
| Pagariya Strikers | Yash Kadam | Runners-up | Lalit Yadav |
| Bharat Rangers | Atharva Taide | League Stage | Danish Malewar |
| India Warriors | Akshay Wadkar | League Stage | Darshan Nalkande |
| Nagpur Heroz | Yash Thakur | League Stage | Umesh Yadav |
| Orange Tigers | Akshay Karnewar | League Stage | Yash Rathod |
Quick note: The tournament is also referred to as the Vidarbha Premier League (VPL). Both names point to the same VCA-run T20 league in Nagpur.
Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2026 Teams List and Full Squads
Below is every VPL 2026 team, ranked by their 2025 finish. Each section covers the captain, key players, and the complete 16-player squad.
1. NECO Master Blaster
NECO Master Blaster enter VPL 2026 as defending champions after beating Pagariya Strikers by 7 wickets in the 2025 final.
The side is captained by India wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma, though vice-captain Adhyayan Daga leads the opener while Sharma wraps up IPL 2026 duties with RCB. Notably, Harsh Dubey misses the start due to India’s Afghanistan series call-up.
Key Players & Strengths
- Jitesh Sharma (C, WK) – explosive finisher and India T20I keeper
- Harsh Dubey – left-arm spinner currently with India’s squad
- Adhyayan Daga, Aryan Meshram, Shanmesh Deshmukh – solid top-order depth
- Tagline ‘Jazba Jeet Ka’ sets the fearless tone for the title defence
NECO Master Blaster Full Squad
| Jitesh Sharma (C, WK) | 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
Pagariya Strikers finished as runners-up in 2025 and return with a sharper unit this season.
All-rounder Yash Kadam captains the side, while last edition’s top wicket-taker Lalit Yadav (13 wickets) continues to spearhead the attack. Furthermore, R Samarth and Mohd Faiz add serious top-order firepower.
Key Players & Strengths
- Yash Kadam (C) – all-rounder leading the franchise
- Lalit Yadav – VPL 2025’s leading wicket-taker (13 scalps)
- R Samarth – topped early VPL 2026 run charts with 101 runs
- Mohd Faiz Sheikh and Shivam Deshmukh – add depth in the middle order
Pagariya Strikers Full Squad
| Yash Kadam (C) | 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
Bharat Rangers bring genuine IPL pedigree through Atharva Taide, the left-handed Vidarbha opener with stints at Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Moreover, the franchise retains 2025’s leading run-scorer Danish Malewar (120 runs), giving the top order serious weight. The squad also opened VPL 2026 with a 6-wicket chase of 235, signalling early intent.
Key Players & Strengths
- Atharva Taide – left-handed opener with IPL experience
- Danish Malewar – VPL 2025 top run-scorer
- Mandar Ghodmare, Aditya Sarvate – experienced Vidarbha all-rounders
- Hrusikesh Pawar and Aniket Pande – strengthen the seam attack
Bharat Rangers 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
India Warriors parade a Vidarbha-heavy core with Ranji-winning captain Akshay Wadkar behind the stumps and leading the side.
Pacer Darshan Nalkande, a Gujarat Titans IPL alum, leads the bowling attack. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Kunal Nagar was one of the auction’s biggest surprises at INR 6.00 lakh. They also kicked off VPL 2026 with a 33-run win over Nagpur Heroz.
Key Players & Strengths
- Akshay Wadkar (C, WK) – Ranji-winning Vidarbha captain
- Darshan Nalkande – IPL-experienced fast bowler
- Shubham Dubey – power-hitting middle-order option
- Praful Hinge and Vaibhav Lande – domestic regulars adding consistency
India Warriors Full Squad
| Akshay Wadkar (C, WK) | 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
Nagpur Heroz parade arguably the most star-studded pace attack in the tournament. Spoiler: opposition top orders are not having a fun two weeks.
Former India seamer Umesh Yadav and rising international Yash Thakur lead the bowling unit. Additionally, experienced campaigner Rajneesh Gurbani makes this a nightmare match-up.
Key Players & Strengths
- Yash Thakur – India and LSG fast bowler
- Umesh Yadav – veteran India pacer
- Siddhesh Wath – versatile top-order batter
- Iknoor Singh Bhamra and Rajneesh Gurbani – round out a deep bowling roster
Nagpur Heroz Full Squad
| Siddhesh Wath | Yash Thakur (C) | 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
Orange Tigers lean on a spin-heavy approach led by left-arm tweaker Akshay Karnewar, the rare ambidextrous bowler in Indian domestic cricket.
Vidarbha middle-order mainstay Yash Rathod anchors the batting, while Delhi import Dhruv Shorey adds Ranji Trophy class to the top three.
Key Players & Strengths
- Akshay Karnewar (C) – left-arm spinner and Vidarbha veteran
- Yash Rathod – Ranji Trophy-winning middle-order batter
- Dhruv Shorey – former India A and Delhi batter
- Saurabh Dubey and Kshitiz Dahiya – promising young all-rounders
Orange Tigers Full Squad
| Akshay Karnewar (C) | 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 |
Top Stars Headlining the Vidarbha Pro T20 League 2026
The VPL 2026 player pool features India internationals plus Vidarbha’s Ranji Trophy-winning core. As a result, scouts and Dream11 players alike treat this league as a useful preview of fringe IPL talent.
- Umesh Yadav (Nagpur Heroz) – India and Gujarat Titans pacer
- Jitesh Sharma (NECO Master Blaster) – India T20I keeper-batter and RCB stalwart
- Atharva Taide (Bharat Rangers) – PBKS top-order batter
- Yash Thakur (Nagpur Heroz) – LSG and India seamer
- Harsh Dubey (NECO Master Blaster) – left-arm spinner with a strong domestic T20 record
VPL 2026 Tournament Format and Venue
All matches are played at the VCA Jamtha International Stadium, Nagpur, with the men’s competition running 1 to 14 June 2026.
Moreover, the six teams play across 25 high-octane T20 matches. The top four progress to the playoffs, featuring an Eliminator, Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2, and the Final on 14 June. Additionally, the tournament telecasts live on Sony Sports Network (TEN 5) and streams on JioHotstar.
Conclusion
Ultimately, VPL 2026 sets up a fascinating six-way scrap. NECO Master Blaster defend the crown, Pagariya Strikers chase the title they narrowly missed, and Nagpur Heroz wield the most lethal pace pack.
Furthermore, Bharat Rangers ride IPL stars, while Orange Tigers and India Warriors lean on Vidarbha’s deep domestic core. Expect 25 matches of tight, high-quality T20 cricket in Nagpur.