IPL 2026 Schedule: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially ended months of anticipation by unveiling IPL 2026 schedule. Franchises have already hit the ground running, launching training camps and revealing new jerseys for the upcoming 19th edition.
RCB to play first match in IPL 2026
Following the long-standing tradition where defending champions host the first game, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will kick off IPL 2026 season at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Matchup: RCB (defending champions) vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad (who won their maiden title in 2025)
Date: March 28, 2026.
Venue: After safety upgrades following RCB’s last year’s victory celebrations, the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru is ready to host IPL 2026 curtain-raiser on March 28.
Two-Phase Release Due to State Elections
BCCI has adopted a cautious approach this year, releasing the schedule in two parts. This decision stems from the upcoming State Assembly Elections scheduled between March and May in five regions: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry.
As the Election Commission is yet to finalize polling dates for all phases, BCCI has currently released fixtures only for the first two weeks. The remaining schedule will be confirmed once the polling calendar is clear to ensure seamless security and logistics.
IPL 2026 Schedule – Phase 1
Match 1: 28/03/26 (Sat) – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Venue: Bengaluru | Time: 19:30
Match 2: 29/03/26 (Sun) – Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Venue: Mumbai | Time: 19:30
Match 3: 30/03/26 (Mon) – Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Venue: Guwahati | Time: 19:30
Match 4: 31/03/26 (Tue) – Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Venue: Mullanpur | Time: 19:30
Match 5: 01/04/26 (Wed) – Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Venue: Lucknow | Time: 19:30
Match 6: 02/04/26 (Thu) – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Venue: Kolkata | Time: 19:30
Match 7: 03/04/26 (Fri) – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Venue: Chennai | Time: 19:30
Match 8: 04/04/26 (Sat) – Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Venue: Delhi | Time: 15:30
Match 9: 04/04/26 (Sat) – Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Venue: Ahmedabad | Time: 19:30
Match 10: 05/04/26 (Sun) – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Venue: Hyderabad | Time: 15:30
Match 11: 05/04/26 (Sun) – Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Venue: Bengaluru | Time: 19:30
Match 12: 06/04/26 (Mon) – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Venue: Kolkata | Time: 19:30
Match 13: 07/04/26 (Tue) – Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Venue: Guwahati | Time: 19:30
Match 14: 08/04/26 (Wed) – Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Venue: Delhi | Time: 19:30
Match 15: 09/04/26 (Thu) – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Venue: Kolkata | Time: 19:30
Match 16: 10/04/26 (Fri) – Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Venue: Guwahati | Time: 19:30
Match 17: 11/04/26 (Sat) – Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Venue: Mullanpur | Time: 15:30
Match 18: 11/04/26 (Sat) – Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Venue: Chennai | Time: 19:30
Match 19: 12/04/26 (Sun) – Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Venue: Lucknow | Time: 15:30
Match 20: 12/04/26 (Sun) – Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Venue: Mumbai | Time: 19:30
