The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will release the schedule for the opening phase of the Indian Premier League 2026 season by March 13 according to board secretary Devajit Saikia. The initial announcement will include fixtures for the first 20 days of the tournament while the remaining schedule will be revealed later. The board has decided to publish the schedule in stages because of logistical challenges which are linked to the upcoming state assembly elections.
IPL 2026 Set to Begin on March 28
The highly anticipated IPL 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 28 which will bring back franchise cricket to the public after ICC Men’s T20 World Cup celebrations in India ended on March 8 following the final match against New Zealand national cricket team. Cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the official match fixtures because teams are getting ready to start a new season in the world’s most popular T20 league.
Schedule to Be Released in Phases
Saikia explained the procedure which BCCI will follow to announce match dates and venues after they finish their election calendar work. The IPL first 20-day schedule will be published within two to three days after the election dates for some states have been considered according to Saikia. The rest of the tournament schedule will be released later according to Saikia.
Assembly elections in several states including Assam West Bengal Tamil Nadu and Kerala are expected during the IPL window. These elections will affect security arrangements and venue availability and travel logistics for teams. Chinnaswamy Stadium to Host IPL 2026 Final
The BCCI has already confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the IPL 2026 final. The venue will also stage two playoff matches and four league games featuring the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The decision is notable as the stadium had remained largely unused for major cricket events over the past year. Cricket matches at the venue were suspended because RCB’s IP football team2 suffered a tragic stampede event.
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