IPL 2026 Schedule Announced; RCB vs SRH in opening match
RCB will take on SRH in the season opener.
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season is set to start from March 28. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will enter the season as the defending champions after winning the title last season.
The schedule for the first phase of IPL 2026 was announced on Wednesday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin their title defence at home. The defending champions will host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the opening match.
Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders follow the next evening at Wankhede. On March 30, the Chennai Super Kings travel to Guwahati to take on the Rajasthan Royals. Last season’s finalist, Punjab Kings, will begin their campaign at home in Mullanpur against the Gujarat Titans on March 31.
The tournament starts two days later than the franchises were originally told. Back in December, the IPL had communicated about a March 26 start, but that slipped to March 28, due to the upcoming assembly elections in Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
The season is likely to run till May 31, with 84 matches in total, up from previous editions.
First phase fixtures of IPL 2026 (Matches 1–20)-
| Match | Date | Day | Fixture | Venue |
| 1 | Mar 28 | Sat | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Mar 29 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mar 30 | Mon | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati |
| 4 | Mar 31 | Tue | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur |
| 5 | Apr 1 | Wed | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Lucknow |
| 6 | Apr 2 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata |
| 7 | Apr 3 | Fri | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Chennai |
| 8 | Apr 4 | Sat | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| 9 | Apr 4 | Sat | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Apr 5 | Sun | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Apr 5 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Apr 6 | Mon | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Kolkata |
| 13 | Apr 7 | Tue | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Guwahati |
| 14 | Apr 8 | Wed | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Delhi |
| 15 | Apr 9 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata |
| 16 | Apr 10 | Fri | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati |
| 17 | Apr 11 | Sat | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur |
| 18 | Apr 11 | Sat | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Chennai |
| 19 | Apr 12 | Sun | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Lucknow |
| 20 | Apr 12 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai |
When will the IPL 2026 start?
IPL 2026 is set to start from March 28.
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Ajay Gandhar has been part of Khel Now since 2023 and has expertise across a wide range of Olympic sports. While his coverage spans the Olympic spectrum, he is passionate about Badminton, Tennis, Football, and Track and Field. Beyond his primary focus areas, Ajay is also an avid kabaddi enthusiast and closely follows the sport.