IPL 2026 Schedule Announcement: RCB Meet SRH In March 28 Opener - Check Out Details Of First 20 Fixtures

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday (March 11) announced the schedule for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026's first 20 games, to be played from March 28 to April 12.

The 19th edition of the world’s biggest franchise cricket tournament will open with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 in Bengaluru.

IPL 2026: Schedule For First 20 Matches

Earlier, the BCCI had announced the start date for IPL 2026 as Saturday, March 28. The schedule is being declared in two phases due to the state assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam.

The second phase, which includes the playoff matches, will be announced once poll dates are revealed, the board stated.

All matches slated at the Chinnaswamy Stadium are subject to clearance from the Karnataka government-appointed expert committee, which is supposed to meet on March 13 to assess venue preparedness after the deadly stampede at the stadium in 2025.

Will US-Israel-Iran War Impact IPL 2026?

Apart from the state elections, the burgeoning conflict in West Asia would also be a factor of consideration for the BCCI. The war has disrupted international travel with operations of major airports like Doha and Dubai being heavily restricted.

As a consequence of that, many squad members of South Africa and West Indies are yet to reach home, a week after the conclusion of their T20 World Cup campaigns. It remains to be seen whether IPL-bound players of those two countries can report to their respective franchises in time.

"There was a substantial delay in departure of West Indies and South Africa players. It would be a tough task to get them back to India on time. Plus the airfares have gone up substantially due to the war in West Asia," a PTI report quoted a team official as saying.

The second match of the opening IPL 2026 weekend will see Mumbai Indians welcome Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium and the opening weekend will not feature any double-headers.

"During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur," said the BCCI in a statement.

"During this period (the first 16 days), the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST. "Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday," the BCCI added.

(With PTI inputs)