The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the biggest franchise T20 league in the world, and is expected to kick off by the end of March 2026.
The tournament brings together elite international cricketers and India’s brightest stars (both established and rising talents), creating a fast-paced competition that blends sporting excellence with prime-time entertainment.
What sets the IPL apart is its unmatched scale. Record-breaking broadcast deals, global sponsorships and massive digital engagement have turned it into one of the richest sporting leagues in the world.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t announced complete schedule as of this writing, but we can estimate rough dates based on past schedules.
IPL 2026 Start Date (Tentative)
According to reports, the IPL is expected to start on March 26, 2026, a few weeks after the ICC T20 World Cup wraps up, and hence, we can expect it to run through May.
IPL 2026 Playoffs & Final Dates (Tentative)
Based on the IPL 2026 tentative start date, that is March 26, 2026, we can expect the IPL Final to be played on May 31.
If that turns out to be the case, then the Playoffs could start from May 26. Having said that, readers are once again reminded that these are just tentative dates.
Nothing has been announced officially by the BCCI so far.
Why Hasn’t BCCI Announced IPL 2026 Schedule?
The schedule delay is largely linked to the upcoming Assembly Elections in five major states, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.
With elections demanding extensive deployment of security personnel, the BCCI is unable to lock in fixtures for venues such as Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati until the Election Commission of India (ECI) releases the official polling timetable.
BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla recently stated that the board is aligning its plans with the government’s election schedule to avoid any overlap between match days and voting dates, as staging games under such circumstances would not be feasible.
Additionally, clarity is still awaited regarding the designated home grounds for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
