BCCI finally dropped the IPL 2026 Fixture today! Fans have been refreshing their phones all week for this. March 11 became the day everyone got their answers.
And what an opener we’re getting! RCB vs SRH on March 28 at Chinnaswamy Stadium. Defending champions starting their title defense against SRH? That’s gonna be electric!
Why The Fixture Came In Pieces
Here’s the deal – BCCI only released the first 20 matches today. Elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Assam are messing up the full calendar. You can’t have IPL matches competing with democracy.
The IPL 2026 Fixture for matches 21 onwards will be announced later once the Election Commission announces its voting dates. Makes sense when you think about security and venue availability.
The original plan was to start on March 26 but they pushed it to March 28. Two extra days won’t kill anyone after waiting this long! The tournament still wraps up on May 31 with 84 matches total.
RCB vs SRH: What A Way To Start
Remember when RCB finally won their first trophy last year? That drought-ending celebration in 2025 felt like it was coming forever. Now they walk onto Chinnaswamy as actual champions for the opening clash!
Sunrisers Hyderabad isn’t some easy opponent though. This RCB vs SRH matchup means business from ball one. Saturday evening under lights – Bengaluru’s gonna be absolutely crazy that night.
But the Karnataka Government’s Expert Committee hasn’t given final clearance yet for Chinnaswamy. They’re doing a full mock drill on March 13 to check everything.
If something goes wrong, RCB plays elsewhere. They’ve already got Raipur lined up for two home games anyway.
| Match | Date | Day | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 28 | Sat | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Mar 29 | Sun | MI vs KKR | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mar 30 | Mon | RR vs CSK | Guwahati |
| 4 | Mar 31 | Tue | PBKS vs GT | Mullanpur |
| 5 | Apr 1 | Wed | LSG vs DC | Lucknow |
| 6 | Apr 2 | Thu | KKR vs SRH | Kolkata |
| 7 | Apr 3 | Fri | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai |
| 8 | Apr 4 | Sat | DC vs MI | Delhi |
| 9 | Apr 4 | Sat | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Apr 5 | Sun | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Apr 5 | Sun | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Apr 6 | Mon | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata |
| 13 | Apr 7 | Tue | RR vs MI | Guwahati |
| 14 | Apr 8 | Wed | DC vs GT | Delhi |
| 15 | Apr 9 | Thu | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata |
| 16 | Apr 10 | Fri | RR vs RCB | Guwahati |
| 17 | Apr 11 | Sat | PBKS vs SRH | Mullanpur |
| 18 | Apr 11 | Sat | CSK vs DC | Chennai |
| 19 | Apr 12 | Sun | LSG vs GT | Lucknow |
| 20 | Apr 12 | Sun | MI vs RCB | Mumbai |
Other Opening Week Goodies
Sunday brings the Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede. Classic opening clash between two powerhouse teams there.
Monday’s where things get really interesting though. Sanju Samson faces RR – his old team! This opening clash happens in Guwahati instead of Jaipur weirdly. RR’s playing their first three home games there before moving.
And Jadeja’s batting for RR against his former franchise CSK! That Sam Curran trade created some juicy storylines. The IPL 2026 Fixture puts these revenge matches right up front.
Punjab Kings are split between Mullanpur and Dharamsala for homes. Everyone’s shuffling venues around elections basically. March 28 can’t come fast enough honestly!
