The Indian Premier League 2026 is set to bring another thrilling edition of the world’s most popular franchise T20 tournament. Organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the competition will feature 10 teams battling it out across multiple venues in India.
With the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaching, the BCCI is set to announce the schedule for the 19th edition of the tournament on Tuesday. It has been learnt that the IPL 2026 schedule was unveiled LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network today, March 11, from 7 PM onwards.
The schedule announcement is expected to happen in two phases due to the upcoming state assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the next few months.
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Earlier on Tuesday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the Indian cricket board would announce the schedule for the first 20 days of the tournament within the next two to three days after considering the election dates in a few states.
Schedule likely to be released in phases as elections approach in several states
“We will announce the first 20-day schedule of the IPL in 2 or 3 days after considering the election dates in a few states and will announce the rest of the tournament schedule later,” Saikia told news agency ANI.
According to the Indian Express, defending champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru will lock horns with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the season opener on March 28 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Full schedule
March 28: RCB vs SRH (This is the seventh time that they play the opening game of IPL. They have had 4 losses and 2 wins in the past six games.)
March 29: MI vs KKR in Mumbai
March 30: RR vs CSK in Guwahati
March 31: PBKS vs GT in Mullanpur
April 1: LSG vs DC in Lucknow
April 2: KKR vs SRH in Kolkata
April 3: CSK vs PBKS in Chennai
April 4: DC vs MI in Delhi
April 4: GT vs RR in Ahmedabad
April 5: SRH vs LSG in Ahmedabad
April 5: RCB vs CSK in Bengaluru
April 6: KKR vs PBKS in Kolkata
April 7: RR vs MI in Guwahati
April 8: DC vs GT in Delhi
April 9: KKR vs LSG in Kolkata
April 10: RR vs RCB in Guwahati
April 11: PBKS vs SRH in Mullanpur
April 11: CSK vs DC in Chennai
April 12: LSG vs GT in Lucknow
April 12: MI vs RCB in Mumbai
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A look back at the thrills and highlights of IPL 2025
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 marked the 18th edition of the tournament, with 10 franchises competing across multiple venues in India. The season began on March 22, 2025, and concluded with the final on June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The tournament followed the traditional IPL format with a total of 74 matches, including 70 league-stage games and four playoff fixtures: Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final. Each team played 14 league matches in a home-and-away format, facing teams within their group twice and others once.
Matches were hosted across major cricketing centres in India, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi and Ahmedabad, adding to the nationwide excitement surrounding the tournament.
