After a significant delay, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The cash-rich T20 league, the most popular in the world currently, will begin on March 28 with the final on May 31. In Phase 1, a total of 20 games will be played over 16 days.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will kick-start the tournament by taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL 2026 opener on March 28. However, matches in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the state government committee on March 13.
“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches,” BCCI said in a statement.
The BCCI only announced the Phase 1 schedule with just 20 games, as per the Indian Express. As the assembly election dates come out for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Guwahati, the rest of the schedule will be announced.
There wil be as many as four double headers in the first phase, on April 4, 5, 11 and 12. Rajasthan Royals will play their first two home games in Guwahati. They are likely to return to Jaipur. But that has not been confirmed yet.
IPL 2026 Match Timing
The BCCI confirmed that it will continue with the same match timing as last season. On doubleheader days, the afternoon match will begin at 3:30 PM. All evening matches will kick off at 7:30 PM IST.
IPL 2026 Schedule Phase 1
| Match | Date | Day | Home | Away | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28/03/26 | Sat | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 2 | 29/03/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai | 19:30 |
| 3 | 30/03/26 | Mon | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 4 | 31/03/26 | Tue | Punjab Kings | Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur | 19:30 |
| 5 | 01/04/26 | Wed | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | 19:30 |
| 6 | 02/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 7 | 03/04/26 | Fri | Chennai Super Kings | Punjab Kings | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 8 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 15:30 |
| 9 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad | 19:30 |
| 10 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | 15:30 |
| 11 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 12 | 06/04/26 | Mon | Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Kings | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 13 | 07/04/26 | Tue | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai Indians | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 14 | 08/04/26 | Wed | Delhi Capitals | Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 19:30 |
| 15 | 09/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 16 | 10/04/26 | Fri | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 17 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Punjab Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur | 15:30 |
| 18 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 19 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow | 15:30 |
| 20 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai | 19:30 |
Earlier, reports claimed that the BCCI will announce the schedule for IPL 2026 in two phases. The delay over the unveiling of the fixtures was largely due to some unresolved issues between franchises and venues (RCB with Chinnaswamy stadium and RR with Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur), the existing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Last week, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and RCB confirmed that the iconic venue in Bengaluru will host the IPL 2026 opener, a playoff match and the final as well.
Cricket
IPL 2026 schedule announced, RCB vs SRH on March 28; check Phase 1 fixtures
