Schedule for First Phase of IPL Announced

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for the first phase of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The first phase of the 19th edition of the tournament will be held from March 28 to April 12. However, since State Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in three Indian states during the same period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced later.

In the opening match of the tournament, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues during the first phase—Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

There will be four double-headers during this period. The afternoon matches will begin at 3:30 PM IST, while the evening matches will start at 7:30 PM IST. The day after the opening match, on Sunday, Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4. On that day, Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. In the evening match, Gujarat Titans will face Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their early home fixtures in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their early home matches at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

This season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will host three matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

However, the matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to approval from an expert committee formed by the Government of Karnataka. On March 13, a full-scale mock demonstration will be conducted at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to inspect the venue and assess match-day arrangements.