IPL 2026 Schedule : The Board of Control for Cricket in India has released the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The opening phase of the tournament will run from March 28 to April 12, 2026. The complete schedule for the rest of the season will be announced later because assembly elections are scheduled in three states during this period.
RCB to Kick Off the Season Against SRH
The 19th edition of the IPL will begin with an exciting clash between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The opening match will be played at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
RCB, who lifted the trophy last season, will start their title defense at home in front of their fans.
20 Matches Across 10 Cities
In the first phase, a total of 20 matches will be played across 10 cities in India. These venues include Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
The tournament will also feature four double-header days, where two matches will be played on the same day. Afternoon matches will begin at 3:30 PM, while evening games will start at 7:30 PM.
Key Double-Header Matches
The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4. Delhi Capitals will face Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Later that evening, Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Weekend double-headers are also scheduled on April 5 and April 11, adding extra excitement for fans.
Teams and Their Home Venues
Some teams will use multiple venues for their home games this season. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five matches in Bengaluru and two matches in Raipur. Punjab Kings will host four games in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala. Rajasthan Royals will play three matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.
RR will begin their home campaign on March 30 in Guwahati against Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their first home match on March 31 at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
IPL 2026 First Phase Match Schedule
- March 28 – RCB vs SRH, Bengaluru
- March 29 – MI vs KKR, Mumbai
- March 30 – RR vs CSK, Guwahati
- March 31 – PBKS vs GT, New Chandigarh
- April 1 – LSG vs DC, Lucknow
- April 2 – KKR vs SRH, Kolkata
- April 3 – CSK vs PBKS, Chennai
- April 4 – DC vs MI, Delhi
- April 4 – GT vs RR, Ahmedabad
- April 5 – SRH vs LSG, Hyderabad
- April 5 – RCB vs CSK, Bengaluru
- April 6 – KKR vs PBKS, Kolkata
- April 7 – RR vs MI, Guwahati
- April 8 – DC vs GT, Delhi
- April 9 – KKR vs LSG, Kolkata
- April 10 – RR vs RCB, Guwahati
- April 11 – PBKS vs SRH, New Chandigarh
- April 11 – CSK vs DC, Chennai
- April 12 – LSG vs GT, Lucknow
- April 12 – MI vs RCB, Mumbai