The schedule for the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has been announced, and it is going to be a busy calendar for the upcoming two months. The tournament will start on March 28 and end on May 31, comprising 70 league matches before the playoffs and final in Bengaluru.
The defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will start the tournament against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The timings for the matches will be 7:30 PM IST for the evening matches, and on days when doubleheaders are scheduled, a game will start at 3:30 PM IST.
Opening fixtures and early schedule
The tournament begins with a high-profile clash in Bengaluru, followed by key matchups in Mumbai and Guwahati over the first weekend.
March 28: RCB vs SRH — Bengaluru
March 29: MI vs KKR — Mumbai
March 30: RR vs CSK — Guwahati
March 31: PBKS vs GT — New Chandigarh
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The first phase of the league will see teams travel across multiple venues, with Rajasthan Royals starting part of their campaign in Guwahati before moving to Jaipur.
IPL 2026: Key details at a glance
Start date: March 28, 2026
Final: May 31, 2026 (Bengaluru)
Total matches: 70 (league stage)
Venues: 13 cities
Match timings: 3:30 PM & 7:30 PM IST
Live streaming: JioHotstar
TV broadcast: Star Sports
IPL 2026 (Full Schedule)
March 2026 Fixtures
Mar 28 – RCB vs SRH (Bengaluru)
Mar 29 – MI vs KKR (Mumbai)
Mar 30 – RR vs CSK (Guwahati)
Mar 31 – PBKS vs GT (New Chandigarh)
April 2026 Fixtures (Highlights)
Apr 1 – LSG vs DC
Apr 4 – DC vs MI / GT vs RR (Double-header)
Apr 5 – SRH vs LSG / RCB vs CSK
Apr 11 – PBKS vs SRH / CSK vs DC
Apr 12 – LSG vs GT / MI vs RCB
Apr 18 – RCB vs DC / SRH vs CSK
Apr 23 – MI vs CSK
Apr 25 – DC vs PBKS / RR vs SRH
(Full April schedule includes Matches 5–42 across all venues)
May 2026 Fixtures (Run-in to Playoffs)
May 1 – RR vs DC
May 4 – MI vs LSG
May 7 – LSG vs RCB
May 10 – RCB vs MI (Raipur)
May 14 – PBKS vs MI (Dharamsala)
May 16 – KKR vs GT / PBKS vs RCB
May 20 – KKR vs MI
May 24 – MI vs RR / KKR vs DC
Venues and travel map
Matches will be played across 13 venues, including:
Bengaluru (Final venue)
Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi
Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow
Jaipur, Guwahati
Dharamsala, Raipur, New Chandigarh
The schedule reflects a mix of home-and-away fixtures along with neutral venues for select teams.
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Teams and captains
RCB – Rajat Patidar
MI – Hardik Pandya
CSK – Ruturaj Gaikwad
KKR – Ajinkya Rahane
GT – Shubman Gill
RR – Riyan Parag
LSG – Rishabh Pant
SRH – Pat Cummins
DC – Axar Patel
PBKS – Shreyas Iyer
Where to watch IPL 2026
All matches will be streamed live on JioHotstar, while television coverage will be available on the Star Sports network.
Tickets are available via BookMyShow, District by Zomato, and Paytm, with prices starting at ₹450.
