IPL 2026 Schedule: RCB vs SRH to Kick Off Season on March 28 – Check Phase 1 Matches
IPL 2026 Schedule: After a delay, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for Indian Premier League 2026. The popular T20 league will start on March 28, and the final will be played on May 31. In Phase 1, a total of 20 matches will be played over 16 days. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will kick-start the tournament by taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the IPL 2026 opener on March 28.
According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, only the Phase 1 schedule of the Indian Premier League 2026 has been announced so far, which includes 20 matches. As reported by the The Indian Express, the remaining schedule will be released later after the assembly election dates are announced in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Guwahati.
There will be four double-headers in Phase 1 of the Indian Premier League 2026, on April 4, 5, 11, and 12. Rajasthan Royals will play their first two home matches in Guwahati. After that, they are likely to return to Jaipur for their home games, but this has not been officially confirmed yet. Earlier, reports claimed that the BCCI will announce the schedule for IPL 2026 in two phases. The delay over the unveiling of the fixtures was largely due to some unresolved issues between franchises and venues, the existing geopolitical tensions in West Asia and the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
IPL 2026 Schedule Phase 1
| Match | Date | Day | Home | Away | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28/03/26 | Sat | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 2 | 29/03/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai | 19:30 |
| 3 | 30/03/26 | Mon | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 4 | 31/03/26 | Tue | Punjab Kings | Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur | 19:30 |
| 5 | 01/04/26 | Wed | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | 19:30 |
| 6 | 02/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 7 | 03/04/26 | Fri | Chennai Super Kings | Punjab Kings | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 8 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 15:30 |
| 9 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad | 19:30 |
| 10 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | 15:30 |
| 11 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 12 | 06/04/26 | Mon | Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Kings | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 13 | 07/04/26 | Tue | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai Indians | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 14 | 08/04/26 | Wed | Delhi Capitals | Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 19:30 |
| 15 | 09/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 16 | 10/04/26 | Fri | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 17 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Punjab Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur | 15:30 |
| 18 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 19 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow | 15:30 |
| 20 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai | 19:30 |
