The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match on March 28.
The season opener will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, the venue is still waiting for final safety clearance from a government-appointed committee after a 2025 incident.
The BCCI has released a partial schedule that includes the first 20 matches of the tournament. These games will take place between March 28 and April 12.
The full schedule will come out in phases. The board delayed the complete announcement to avoid clashes with assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
IPL 2026 will be the biggest edition yet. The tournament will feature 84 matches, up from the 74 matches played in previous seasons.
Most evening matches will start at 7:30 PM IST. On double-header days, the afternoon games will begin at 3:30 PM IST.
The first phase of the schedule includes four double-headers. The first of these will take place on April 4.
Delhi Capitals will face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match that day. Gujarat Titans will then take on Rajasthan Royals in the evening game.
Some teams will begin the season away from their traditional home venues. Rajasthan Royals will play their early home matches at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati instead of Jaipur.
Punjab Kings will host their initial home games at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Fans are already talking about major moves made before the season. One of the biggest trades saw Sanju Samson move to Chennai Super Kings, while Ravindra Jadeja joined Rajasthan Royals.
Kolkata Knight Riders also grabbed attention before the season. They signed Australian all-rounder Cameron Green for a record ₹25.20 crore.
Excitement around IPL 2026 is already building. The tournament is set to run for just over two months and will end with the final on May 31.
IPL 2026 Schedule First Phase
| Mat No | Date | Day | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar | Sat | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 2 | 29 Mar | Sun | MI vs KKR | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 3 | 30 Mar | Mon | RR vs CSK | Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 4 | 31 Mar | Tue | PBKS vs GT | Mullanpur | 7:30 PM |
| 5 | 01 Apr | Wed | LSG vs DC | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 6 | 02 Apr | Thu | KKR vs SRH | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 7 | 03 Apr | Fri | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 8 | 04 Apr | Sat | DC vs MI | Delhi | 3:30 PM |
| 9 | 04 Apr | Sat | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 10 | 05 Apr | Sun | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad | 3:30 PM |
| 11 | 05 Apr | Sun | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 12 | 06 Apr | Mon | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 13 | 07 Apr | Tue | RR vs MI | Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 14 | 08 Apr | Wed | DC vs GT | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 15 | 09 Apr | Thu | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 16 | 10 Apr | Fri | RR vs RCB | Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 17 | 11 Apr | Sat | PBKS vs SRH | Mullanpur | 3:30 PM |
| 18 | 11 Apr | Sat | CSK vs DC | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 19 | 12 Apr | Sun | LSG vs GT | Lucknow | 3:30 PM |
| 20 | 12 Apr | Sun | MI vs RCB | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |