It is played by the teams from the Ranji Trophy, which is the premier domestic first-class cricket championship in the country.

In 2006–07, the inaugural competition was won by Tamil Nadu under the captaincy of Dinesh Karthik.

Originally known as the Inter-State T20 Championship, it was inaugurated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the 2006–07 season.

The format begun with a round-robin stage with the teams divided into zonal groups, with the top teams in each group qualifying for a knockout stage culminating in the final tie.

In 2012–13, the BCCI decided to replace the knockout with a Super League consisting of two groups, the winners of which qualified for the final.