Summary of this article
Indian Premier League 2026 starts from March 28
Punjab Kings to play their opener against Gujarat Titans
PBKS bolstered their batting line-up in 2026 auction
It’s that time of the year again. Summer is here, and that means the biggest stars in world cricket are arriving for the Indian Premier League 2026. The largest and richest T20 tournament in the world officially starts on March 28.
The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match at RCB’s famous home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The 2026 season will be held in two parts because of elections happening in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. Since these states host IPL games every year, the BCCI has planned the schedule carefully to make sure the tournament runs smoothly.
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: Punjab Kings Look To Build On
After an agonizingly close 2025 campaign where they finished as runners-up, falling just six runs short in the final, Punjab Kings head into the 2026 season with the momentum of a franchise that has finally broken its decade-long playoff drought.
Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, the Punjab fans are no longer just hoping for a fight but they are hoping to become the first North Indian outfit to get their hands on the IPL title.
PBKS made surgical additions in the auction. They snapped up dynamic Australian all-rounder Cooper Connolly for INR 3 crore to add middle-order flexibility and brought back left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis for INR 4.4 crore
With stars like Yuzvendra Chahal and Marcus Stoinis retained, the squad looks deep and ready to challenge for the title.
Indian Premier League 2026: Punjab Kings Schedule
March 31: PBKS Vs GT (PCA New Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur)
April 3: CSK Vs PBKS (MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai)
April 6: KKR Vs PBKS (Eden Gardens Stadium, Kolkata)
April 11: PBKS Vs SRH (PCA New Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur)
Indian Premier League 2026: Punjab Kings Squad
Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Vishal Nishad, Praveen Dubey.
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.
