Summary of this article
The 2026 Indian Premier League season begins March 28
Lucknow Super Giants play their opener against Delhi Capitals
LSG will enter their second season with Rishabh Pant in charge as captain
It's that time of the year again. Summer season means the arrival of world cricket's biggest stars at the Indian Premier League. The T20 format's biggest and richest franchise competition gets underway on March 28.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be locking horns with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener at RCB's infamous home turf, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The 2026 edition will be played in two separate phases due to the assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Each of these states host IPL matches every year and so the BCCI has planned things well for a smooth conduct of the tournament.
A total of 20 matches will be played in the first phase from March 28 to April 12, while dates for the second half is expected to be announced soon. The finale will be played on Sunday, May 31.
Indian Premier League 2026: What Next For Lucknow Under Rishabh And Langer?
Lucknow Super Giants enter the 2026 season with a renewed sense of purpose under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant and head coaching of Justin Langer.
After a disappointing 7th place finish in 2025, which was a sharp decline from their back-to-back playoff appearances in their first two seasons, LSG has been aggressive in recalibrating the squad.
The fans at the Ekana Stadium will be hungry for glory than just mid-table safety. They will be expecting a return to the clinical consistency that the side was known for in the past.
The 2026 mini-auction saw LSG focus heavily on high-octane overseas talent. Their marquee signing was Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis for INR 8.6 crore.
They also secured speedster Anrich Nortje and spin-wizard Wanindu Hasaranga at their base prices. These additions, alongside the trade for veteran pacer Mohammad Shami, give LSG one of the most balanced bowling attacks in the competition
Indian Premier League 2026: LSG 1st Phase Schedule
March 30: RR Vs LSG (ACA Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati)
April 3: LSG Vs Gujarat Titans (Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow)
April 7: RCB Vs LSG (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru)
April 12: LSG Vs KKR (Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow)
Indian Premier League 2026: LSG Squad
Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvesh Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Mohammed Shami, Arjun Tendulkar, Josh Inglis, Mukul Choudhary, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga and Naman Tiwari.
When Is IPL 2026 starting?
IPL 2026 starts from March 28 with RCB taking on SRH in the opening match.
How Many Teams Will be Playing In IPL 2026?
A total of 10 teams will be participating this season.
Who Are The Defending Champions?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will enter IPL 2026 as the reigning champions.
Who Are The Most Successful Teams In IPL?
Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the most successful franchises in the IPL with 5 titles each.
