BCCI finally released the IPL 2026 schedule everyone’s been desperately waiting for! But here’s the twist – only the first 20 days got announced. State assembly elections in three states are delaying the complete Time table release.
The total match count reaches 84 games this season! That’s ten more than last year’s tournament. IPL 2026 runs from March 28 straight through May 31.
Opening Match and First Phase Details
Defending champions RCB host SRH on March 28 at Chinnaswamy Stadium! That evening’s match at 7:30 PM IST launches the entire season. Royal Challengers Bengaluru start their title defense at home.
| Date | Match | Start Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 28 (Saturday) | RCB vs SRH | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru |
| March 29 (Sunday) | MI vs KKR | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| March 30 (Monday) | RR vs CSK | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| March 31 (Tuesday) | PBKS vs GT | 7:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| April 1 (Wednesday) | LSG vs DC | 7:30 PM | Lucknow |
| April 2 (Thursday) | KKR vs SRH | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 3 (Friday) | CSK vs PBKS | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 4 (Saturday) | DC vs MI | 3:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 4 (Saturday) | GT vs RR | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| April 5 (Sunday) | SRH vs LSG | 3:30 PM | Hyderabad |
| April 5 (Sunday) | RCB vs CSK | 7:30 PM | Bengaluru |
| April 6 (Monday) | KKR vs PBKS | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 7 (Tuesday) | RR vs MI | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| April 8 (Wednesday) | DC vs GT | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 9 (Thursday) | KKR vs LSG | 7:30 PM | Kolkata |
| April 10 (Friday) | RR vs RCB | 7:30 PM | Guwahati |
| April 11 (Saturday) | PBKS vs SRH | 3:30 PM | Mullanpur |
| April 11 (Saturday) | CSK vs DC | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 12 (Sunday) | LSG vs GT | 3:30 PM | Lucknow |
| April 12 (Sunday) | MI vs RCB | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
BCCI announced the fixture on March 12 covering initial fixtures! Twenty matches happen across ten different Indian cities. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad host games.
Recently, Bengaluru’s matches got Karnataka Government clearance. An Expert Committee inspects the stadium on March 13. They conduct mock match-day demonstrations, ensuring safety standards.
Last year’s deadly stampede at Chinnaswamy created these safety concerns! Karnataka won’t approve without proper verification this time. RCB’s opening match depends on that clearance happening.
Double-Header Matches and Timing
The tournament includes four exciting double-header days total! Afternoon matches start 3:30 PM IST while evening games begin 7:30 PM IST. That gives fans two matches in a single day.
First double-header happens April 4 at two different venues! Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium in the afternoon. Then, the Gujarat Titans play the Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium in the evening.
Those double-headers maximize cricket action for fans across India! Television broadcasters love having two games daily too. IPL 2026 promises non-stop entertainment throughout the season.
Venue Distribution Across Teams
Rajasthan Royals start home games in Guwahati surprisingly this year! They host CSK and MI there before moving to Jaipur. Three Guwahati matches and four Jaipur games split RR’s home fixtures.
Punjab Kings play four home matches at New Chandigarh’s stadium! Three additional games happen in Dharamsala later. That dual-venue strategy spreads cricket across Punjab region.
RCB gets five home matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru! Two backup games happen in Raipur if needed. Karnataka clearance remains crucial for their home schedule.
Complete IPL 2026 fixture announcement waits for election date confirmations! The remaining fixtures will be released once state governments finalize assembly election timings. Political considerations force this phased approach necessarily.
Can defending champions RCB successfully defend their maiden title in IPL 2026?
