The schedule for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has been partially announced, with reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to host Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match on March 28.
The fixtures for the first 20 matches of the tournament were released on Wednesday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, while the remaining schedule will be announced later due to upcoming assembly elections in parts of the country.
The 2026 season marks the 19th edition of the IPL, one of the world's most lucrative and widely followed franchise T20 cricket tournaments. A total of 10 teams will compete for the title this year.
Key early fixtures announced
After the opening clash between RCB and SRH in Bengaluru, five-time champions Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign at home against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29. Another high-profile match will see Chennai Super Kings take on Rajasthan Royals on March 30.
The CSK-RR clash is expected to attract attention following a major pre-season player swap that saw all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja join the Rajasthan Royals, while Sanju Samson moved to the Chennai Super Kings.
Samson also recently won the Player of the Tournament award at the 2026 T20 World Cup, adding further intrigue to the fixture.
Other teams competing in IPL 2026 include Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings.
IPL 2026 format
The IPL 2026 season will feature 84 matches, which is 10 more than last season. The tournament will follow a double round-robin format, where each team faces every other team twice - once at home and once away.
At the end of the league stage, the top four teams will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will face off in Qualifier 1, with the winner advancing directly to the final. The teams finishing third and fourth will meet in the Eliminator.
The winner of the Eliminator will then face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 to determine the second finalist. This format marks a return to the structure used during the 2021 IPL season.
Full Schedule:
| Date | Match | Start Time | Venue |
| March 28, Saturday | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru |
| March 29, Sunday | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| March 30, Monday | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| March 31, Tuesday | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | 7:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| April 1, Wednesday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Lucknow |
| April 2, Thursday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 3, Friday | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 4, Saturday | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | 3:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 4, Saturday | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| April 5, Sunday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | 3:30 PM | Hyderabad |
| April 5, Sunday | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru |
| April 6, Monday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 7, Tuesday | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| April 8, Wednesday | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 9, Thursday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 10, Friday | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| April 11, Saturday | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| April 11, Saturday | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 12, Sunday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | 3:30 PM | Lucknow |
| April 12, Sunday | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
IPL 2026 venues
Matches in the tournament will be played across 10 venues in India, including:
- Bengaluru - M Chinnaswamy Stadium
- Ahmedabad - Narendra Modi Stadium
- Guwahati - ACA Stadium
- Kolkata - Eden Gardens
- Chennai - MA Chidambaram Stadium
- Lucknow - Ekana Stadium
- Delhi - Arun Jaitley Stadium
- Hyderabad - Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium
- Mumbai - Wankhede Stadium
- Mullanpur - New PCA Stadium
With the first set of fixtures now confirmed and teams beginning preparations, fans are gearing up for another action-packed IPL season starting later this month.