May 2023: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for opening phase of Indian Premier League 2026. The 19th edition of the tournament will kick off on March 28, 2026 with the first round taking place until April 12, 2026. The full schedule for the season will be announced later, with some Indian states going to Assembly elections during this time, the cricket board confirmed.
According to the new IPL schedule, Sunrisers Hyderabad will face last year’s champion Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first match. This is the match everyone has been waiting for to see as RCB will get their title run started in front of their home crowd at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
The first stage of the tournament will see 20 matches played at 10 different venues, according to the timetable. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati/New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi/Ahmedabad and Hyderabad will be the host cities for these matches. With 88 venues partnered by every state from the South to West, fans across India will now be able to watch live IPL action.
Four double-header match days will also take place during the tournament for cricket fans to enjoy successive action. Afternoon matches will commence at 3:30 PM IST whereas the evening games would kickstart at 7:30 PM IST. The season will have its first double-header on April 4, 2026. Afternoon Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals @ Arun Jaitley Stadium on that day. In the evening, Gujarat Titans will face off against Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium.
In the early stages of the season, some are starting their home campaigns at alternative venues. The Rajasthan Royals will then have their first two home matches in Guwahati, with the teams facing both the Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. As for Punjab Kings, they will play their initial home matches at the stadium in New Chandigarh and shift later during the tournament to other venues.
IPL 2026 – Royal Challengers Bengalurucheduled to play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur But matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium are only subject to clearance from a the committee set up by the Karnataka government. The committee is scheduled to visit the stadium and check arrangements at a match on March 13 before giving its final approval.
Now with amazing fixtures and matches set to happen in various cities, the first phase of IPL 2026 is sure to provide fans across India with nail biting action.
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