The 2026 T20 Blast campaign begins on Friday, May 22, with a slimmed-down, restructured format.
Eighteen counties will compete in three regional groups before the tournament concludes in July ahead of The Hundred.
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A review by the counties, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and the Professional Cricketers' Association led to a reduction in the group stage to 12 matches per side.
The top two teams from the North, Central, and South sections, along with the two best third-placed finishers, will advance to the quarter-finals on July 15.
Finals Day is set for Edgbaston on July 18.
Defending Champions and Key Contenders
Defending champions Somerset start their campaign in the Central Group with a final rematch against Hampshire Hawks in Taunton.
Somerset coach Jason Kerr noted the difficulty of the competition to BBC Radio Somerset.
"We've seen how consistent we've been in terms of getting to Finals Days and actually only managed to win two in the last five or six," Kerr said.
"It's an incredibly difficult trophy to win but hopefully we can get that monkey off someone's back."
Somerset captain Lewis Gregory emphasized the historic opportunity, as no team has ever secured consecutive titles since the tournament launched in 2003.
"Over 23 years no one's defended it so hopefully we can be the first this year," Gregory said.
Hampshire Hawks enter under new head coach Russell Domingo, who replaced Adi Birrell this summer.
