The 19th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is set to begin on March 28, but fans are still waiting for the complete fixture list. So far, the schedule for the opening phase of the tournament has been announced, while the remaining matches will be revealed later.
A major update on the full timetable has now come from Rajiv Shukla, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who clarified when the rest of the schedule is likely to be released.
Why Full IPL 2026 Schedule Has Been Delayed
According to Rajiv Shukla, the delay is linked to the upcoming assembly elections in several Indian states. Polls are scheduled to take place in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry.
Several IPL matches are planned in cities located in these states, including Kolkata, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Guwahati. Because security forces will be heavily deployed for election duties, the league organizers decided to release the schedule in phases.
The first phase of IPL 2026 has already been announced, with 20 matches scheduled from March 28 to April 12 across 10 venues in India.
Rajiv Shukla on When Remaining Schedule Will Be Announced
Speaking to ANI, Rajiv Shukla explained that the remaining IPL fixtures will be announced once the election dates are officially declared by the Election Commission of India.
He said that if the poll schedule is announced soon, it would allow the BCCI to finalize and publish the rest of the tournament schedule.
The Election Commission is expected to reveal the election dates during a press conference today, and once that happens, BCCI will move ahead with announcing the full IPL 2026 schedule.
IPL 2026: First 20 Matches (Phase 1)
March 28: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
March 29: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders – Mumbai – 7:30 PM
March 30: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings – Guwahati – 7:30 PM
March 31: Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans – Mullanpur – 7:30 PM
April 1: Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals – Lucknow – 7:30 PM
April 2: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Kolkata – 7:30 PM
April 3: Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings – Chennai – 7:30 PM
April 4: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians – Delhi – 3:30 PM
April 4: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM
April 5: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants – Hyderabad – 3:30 PM
April 5: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM
April 6: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings – Kolkata – 7:30 PM
April 7: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians – Guwahati – 7:30 PM
April 8: Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans – Delhi – 7:30 PM
April 9: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants – Kolkata – 7:30 PM
April 10: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Guwahati – 7:30 PM
April 11: Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad – Mullanpur – 3:30 PM
April 11: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals – Chennai – 7:30 PM
April 12: Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans – Lucknow – 3:30 PM
April 12: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Mumbai – 7:30 PM
Once the election schedule is finalized, the BCCI is expected to announce the remaining fixtures for IPL 2026, completing the tournament calendar.
