- By Gurmeet Batra
- Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:06 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IPL 2026 Schedule Announced: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first 20 matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the season opener at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.
The tournament will kick off on March 28 and run until May 31, with the complete schedule to be released in phases due to assembly elections in several states.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today announced the schedule for the first phase of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026. As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced,” BCCI said in a statement.
A total of 10 venues, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, will host 20 matches.
“During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST. Following the opening encounter on Saturday, the Mumbai Indians will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday,” the statement further read.
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The statement read that the first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, where Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rajasthan Royals will start their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will take on Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
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During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have a chance to play their five matches at the home ground in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will host three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.
Lights. Camera. IPL! 🎬🔥#TATAIPL 2026 schedule for the first 20 matches is here! Gear up for non-stop action, fierce clashes, and unforgettable moments!⚡
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 11, 2026
Which match are you most excited for? ✍️ pic.twitter.com/y5oOKGm95M
IPL 2026 Full Schedule
March 28 - Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Bengaluru - 7:30PM IST
March 29 - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders - Mumbai - 7:30PM IST
March 30 - Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings - Guwahati - 7:30PM IST
March 31 - Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans - Mullanpur - 7:30PM IST
April 1 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals - Lucknow - 7:30PM IST
April 2 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Kolkata - 7:30PM IST
April 3 - Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings - Chennai - 7:30PM IST
April 4 - Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians - Delhi - 3:30PM IST
April 4 - Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals - Ahmedabad - 7:30PM IST
April 5 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants - Hyderabad - 3:30PM IST
April 5 - Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings - Bengaluru - 7:30PM IST
April 6 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings - Kolkata - 7:30PM IST
April 7 - Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians - Guwahati - 7:30PM IST
April 8 - Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans - Delhi - 7:30PM IST
April 9 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants - Kolkata - 7:30PM IST
April 10 - Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Guwahati - 7:30PM IST
April 11 - Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad - Mullanpur - 3:30PM IST
April 11 - Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals - Chennai - 7:30PM IST
April 12 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans - Lucknow - 3:30PM IST
April 12 - Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru - Mumbai - 7:30PM IST
“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches,” the statement concluded.