The Indian Premier League (IPL) Set to return for its 19th edition in 2026, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for the first leg of the tournament. The champions will compete in the opening match Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The announcement has already created excitement among fans as the IPL once again promises weeks of thrilling cricket and high-voltage clashes between the league’s biggest teams.
IPL 2026 Schedule: The opening weekend will deliver big matches
The tournament will begin with RCB starting their title defense against SRH at home on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 PM IST. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the curtain raiser, continuing the tradition of the defending champions hosting the season opener.
The excitement will continue the next day. On March 29, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the legendary Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The opening week sees another big clash on March 30 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) They begin their campaign against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati. With multiple marquee matches scheduled from the start, fans can look forward to an exciting start to the season.
This year BCCI chose to release the IPL schedule in two phases. So far, only the first 20 matches are known.
The decision was taken in view of the State Assembly elections to be held between March and May in several regions including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. Partial release of the schedule allows authorities to coordinate security measures more efficiently.
According to BCCI officials, the remaining appointments will be announced after the Election Commission finalizes the polling dates. The full tournament will feature 84 matches, an increase from previous editions, and the final is scheduled to be held on May 31 in Bengaluru.
IPL 2026 Schedule: Key Matches in Phase One
The first phase of the IPL 2026 season includes several high-profile matches that are expected to attract massive audiences.
One of the biggest days will be April 4, a double header. Delhi Capitals (DC) will face Mumbai Indians in Delhi in the afternoon match, while Gujarat Titans (GT) will face Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad in the evening match.
Another exciting day is April 5 when Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Lucknow Super Giants in an afternoon clash ahead of the much-awaited southern derby between RCB and CSK at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The first phase will conclude on April 12 with two matches – GT against LSG in the afternoon and MI hosting RCB at the Wankhede Stadium in the evening.
IPL 2026 First Stage Schedule
| Encounter | History | day | Armature | Location | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 28 | Saturday | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bungalow | 19:30 |
| 2 | March 29 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | mumbai | 19:30 |
| 3 | March 30 | Monday | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 4 | March 31 | Tuesday | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur | 19:30 |
| 5 | April 1 | Wednesday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Good luck | 19:30 |
| 6 | April 2 | Cr | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 7 | April 3 | Friday | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 8 | April 4 | Saturday | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 15:30 |
| 9 | April 4 | Saturday | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad | 19:30 |
| 10 | April 5 | Sun | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | 15:30 |
| 11 | April 5 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Bungalow | 19:30 |
| 12 | April 6 | Monday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 13 | April 7 | Tuesday | Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 14 | April 8 | Wednesday | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 19:30 |
| 15 | April 9 | Cr | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 16 | April 10 | Friday | Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 17 | April 11 | Saturday | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur | 15:30 |
| 18 | April 11 | Saturday | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 19 | April 12 | Sun | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Good luck | 15:30 |
| 20 | April 12 | Sun | Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru | mumbai | 19:30 |
Where to watch IPL 2026?
The IPL 2026 schedule announcement was broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network on Wednesday evening. All matches throughout the season will be telecast on Star Sports channels and will be streamed live on JioHotstar for fans in India and across the world.
