The IPL 2026 schedule total match dates are finally out after weeks of speculation. Cricket fans can mark their calendars from March 26 to May 31 now. That’s when the entire tournament happens across India’s various cricket grounds.
Franchise owners met in Abu Dhabi recently and sorted everything out. The IPL 2026 schedule got locked in during those important discussions. Everyone’s buzzing about the upcoming season already because RCB won last year.
IPL 2026 Schedule and Match Details
The IPL 2026 dates run from late March through the end of May. That gives us roughly two months of non-stop cricket action to enjoy. The list follows the usual pattern that IPL tournaments normally maintain.
Hemang Amin, the IPL CEO, shared the schedule details at a briefing. This happened right before the player auction started in Abu Dhabi recently. Teams now know exactly when they’ll be playing their total match quota.
The total match count for the next season remains similar to previous seasons. Each team plays 14 league stage games first. Then the top four teams advance to the playoffs and finals eventually.
let’s check complete fixtures below:
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 26th March | KKR vs RCB | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 27th March | SRH vs RR | Hyderabad | 3:30 PM |
| 28th March | MI vs CSK | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 29th March | DC vs LSG | Vizag | 7:30 PM |
| 30th March | GT vs PBKS | Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 1st April | RR vs KKR | Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 2nd April | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 3rd April | LSG vs PBKS | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 3rd April | RCB vs GT | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 04th April | KKR vs SRH | Vizag | 7:30 PM |
| 04th April | LSG vs MI | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 05th April | CSK vs DC | Chennai | 3:30 PM |
| 05th April | PBKS vs RR | New Chandigarh | 7:30 PM |
| 06th April | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata | 3:30 PM |
| 06th April | SRH vs GT | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 07th April | MI vs RCB | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 08th April | PBKS vs CSK | New Chandigarh | 7:30 PM |
| 9th April | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 10th April | RCB vs DC | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 11th April | CSK vs KKR | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 12th April | LSG vs GT | Lucknow | 3:30 PM |
| 12th April | SRH vs PBKS | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 13th April | RR vs RCB | Jaipur | 3:30 PM |
| 13th April | DC vs MI | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 14th April | LSG vs CSK | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 15th April | PBKS vs KKR | New Chandigarh | 7:30 PM |
| 16th April | DC vs RR | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 17th April | MI vs SRH | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 18th April | RR vs PBKS | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 19th April | GT vs DC | Ahmedabad | 3:30 PM |
| 19th April | RR vs LSG | Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| 20th April | PBKS vs RCB | New Chandigarh | 3:30 PM |
| 20th April | MI vs CSK | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 21st April | KKR vs GT | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 22nd April | LSG vs DC | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 23rd April | SRH vs MI | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 24th April | RCB vs RR | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 25th April | CSK vs SRH | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 26th April | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 27th April | MI vs LSG | Mumbai | 3:30 PM |
| 27th April | DC vs RCB | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 28th April | RR vs GT | Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| 29th April | DC vs KKR | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 30th April | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 1st May | RR vs MI | Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| 2nd May | GT vs SRH | Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 3rd May | RR vs CSK | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 4th May | KKR vs RR | Kolkata | 3:30 PM |
| 4th May | PBKS vs CSK | Dharamsala | 7:30 PM |
| 5th May | SRH vs DC | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 6th May | MI vs GT | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 7th May | KKR vs CSK | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 8th May | PBKS vs DC | Dharamsala | 7:30 PM |
| 9th May | LSG vs RCB | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 10th May | SRH vs KKR | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 11th May | PBKS vs MI | Dharamsala | 3:30 PM |
| 11th May | DC vs GT | Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 12th May | CSK vs RR | Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 13th May | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 14th May | GT vs LSG | Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 15th May | MI vs DC | Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 16th May | RR vs PBKS | Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| 17th May | RCB vs KKR | Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 18th May | GT vs CSK | Ahmedabad | 3:30 PM |
| 18th May | LSG vs SRH | Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule
The playoffs will be the real test of the tournament, where the top four teams fight it out for a spot in the final. Once the league stage ends, the pressure rises as knockout matches take center stage, pushing teams to show their best skills, smart tactics, and mental strength when it matters most.
Here’s how the playoff fixtures are lined up:
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
| 20th May | Qualifier 1 (1st Position Team vs 2nd Position Team) | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 21st May | Eliminator (Loser of Q1 vs Winner of Q2) | Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
| 23rd May | Qualifier 2 (Loser of Q1 vs Winner of Eliminator) | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 25th May | Final (Winner of Q2 vs Winner Q1) | Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
Every contest during the dates matters for the points table standings. Teams can’t afford to lose too many games early on anymore. The competition gets tougher each year as franchises constantly strengthen their squads.
Opening Game Venue Confusion
RCB won the title last season, so tradition says Bengaluru hosts the opener. The Chinnaswamy Stadium should get the first battle of IPL 2026 normally. But there’s a big problem that nobody saw coming at all.
Government clearance hasn’t come through yet for using that venue. Some safety concerns arose after a tragic incident during an IPL event. That accident cost lives, so authorities are being super careful this time.
The opening ceremony plans are now up in the air. RCB fans desperately want their home ground to start things off. But safety comes first, and officials won’t rush the approval process.
An alternate venue might host the opening match if clearance doesn’t arrive. The dates won’t change but the location might shift to another city. Fans are hoping Bengaluru gets sorted out before March 26 arrives though.
Player Auction Updates
The auction happened at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena before big announcements came. This marks three straight years the auction occurred outside India’s borders. Around 359 players went under the hammer for team selections this time.
Big names like Cameron Green attracted massive bids from multiple franchises. The total spending always breaks records during these mega auction events. Teams rebuilt their squads completely for the tournament ahead.
Franchises now know their schedule and can plan training camps accordingly.
