The schedule for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has been partially released, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match on March 28 in Bengaluru.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 fixtures on Wednesday. Only the first 20 matches have been revealed for now due to upcoming assembly elections in India. The remaining schedule will be announced at a later date.
IPL 2026 Format and Matches
The upcoming season will reportedly feature 84 matches, which is 10 more than last season, under a revised format. All 10 teams will compete in a double round-robin league stage, where each team faces the others twice.
The top four teams at the end of the league stage will advance to the playoffs.
- The top two teams will compete in Qualifier 1, with the winner moving directly to the final.
- Teams finishing third and fourth will play in the Eliminator.
- The Eliminator winner will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2, which will determine the second finalist.
IPL 2026 Teams
A total of 10 franchises will compete in the tournament:
- Chennai Super Kings
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Mumbai Indians
- Gujarat Titans
- Delhi Capitals
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Lucknow Super Giants
- Rajasthan Royals
- Punjab Kings
- Kolkata Knight Riders
Key Matches in the Opening Week
Following the opening clash, Mumbai Indians will host Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29 in Mumbai.
On March 30, Rajasthan Royals will face Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati. The match is expected to draw attention after the pre-season player swap involving Ravindra Jadeja and Sanju Samson, who switched teams ahead of the tournament.
IPL 2026 First 20 Matches Schedule
| Date | Match | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28 | RCB vs SRH | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru* |
| Mar 29 | MI vs KKR | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| Mar 30 | RR vs CSK | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| Mar 31 | PBKS vs GT | 7:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| Apr 1 | LSG vs DC | 7:30 PM | Lucknow |
| Apr 2 | KKR vs SRH | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| Apr 3 | CSK vs PBKS | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| Apr 4 | DC vs MI | 3:30 PM | Delhi |
| Apr 4 | GT vs RR | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| Apr 5 | SRH vs LSG | 3:30 PM | Hyderabad |
| Apr 5 | RCB vs CSK | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru |
| Apr 6 | KKR vs PBKS | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| Apr 7 | RR vs MI | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| Apr 8 | DC vs GT | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| Apr 9 | KKR vs LSG | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| Apr 10 | RR vs RCB | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| Apr 11 | PBKS vs SRH | 3:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| Apr 11 | CSK vs DC | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| Apr 12 | LSG vs GT | 3:30 PM | Lucknow |
| Apr 12 | MI vs RCB | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
*Venue subject to approval.
IPL 2026 Venues
Matches in the first phase will be played across several major cricket stadiums in India, including:
- M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
- Narendra Modi Stadium
- ACA Stadium
- Eden Gardens
- M. A. Chidambaram Stadium
- Ekana Cricket Stadium
- Arun Jaitley Stadium
- Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
The remaining venues and fixtures for the second half of IPL 2026 are expected to be announced soon.
