IPL 2026 Schedule, Start Date, Final, First Match, Playoffs:The 19th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to be the biggest yet. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to release the official IPL schedule in two phases due to upcoming state assembly elections, but key dates and venues have already emerged from the Governing Council’s latest meetings.
IPL 2026 Key Dates
Event: Opening Match
Date (Expected): March 28, 2026
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Event: League Stage
Date (Expected): March 28 – May 24, 2026
Venue: Various (10 Cities)
Event: Playoffs Begin
Date (Expected): May 26, 2026
Venue: Bengaluru & TBD
Event: Grand Final
Date (Expected): May 31, 2026
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
IPL 2026 Season Opener
As per tradition, defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore will host the curtain-raiser.
Matchup: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings (2025 Runners-up) is the rumored opening fixture for IPL 2026.
Venue: After safety upgrades following last year’s celebrations, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been cleared to host the opener and IPL 2026 final.
IPL 2026 Expanded Tournament Format
Total Matches: Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is expanding to an 84-match marathon (up from 74).
Teams: 10 franchises will compete in a double round-robin and playoff format.
Two-Phase Schedule: Due to elections in West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, BCCI will first announce IPL 2026 schedule for the opening 15 days, with the remainder to follow once polling dates are confirmed.
Playoff & Final Venues
While the full Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoff itinerary is pending, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has confirmed that Bengaluru will host Qualifier 1 and IPL 2026 Final. Other playoff games (Eliminator and Qualifier 2) are likely to be assigned to venues like Ahmedabad or Raipur.
Also on ABP Live | Team India’s T20 World Cup Finals Record Ahead Of IND vs NZ 2026 Clash
Also on ABP Live | IND vs NZ Final: Shivam Dube, Abhishek Sharma And Varun Chakravarthy Eye Big Records In Ahmedabad
