Date Revealed: When will India's T20 World Cup stars join their respective franchises for IPL 2026?
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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.
Ahead of the IPL 2026, India won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 on March 8. After winning the World Cup, all 15 players returned home to spend time with their families before the IPL began. The Indian side participated in the T20 World Cup, which ran for a month.
Given their performance in the ICC tournament, these players will be extremely valuable to their respective IPL teams. Sanju Samson will be excited to spice up the competition with some outstanding contributions for his new franchise.
All 15 players of the Indian winning squad got a very short break ahead of IPL 2026, as the franchises want to conduct team-bonding activities and practice sessions with the entire squad. Now, a report has revealed the date when they will join their respective franchises for the upcoming season.
When will Indian players join their IPL camp?
Since the IPL does not follow BCCI rules regarding family and girlfriends, Indian players and foreign players are allowed to travel with their families.
According to Rohit Juglan, most of the Indian players part of the World Cup-winning squad will join their respective IPL teams on March 16.
“Most of the Indian players part of the T20 WC will join the IPL camp for their respective franchises from 16th March,” Juglan stated on X.
Before the players join their IPL 2026 franchises, they will also attend the annual BCCI Naman Awards function in Delhi. The IPL begins with RCB clashing against SRH on March 28.
In addition to Indian players, several overseas players will come to India to participate in the forthcoming IPL season. However, overseas players may join the IPL season late, as they faced delays in returning home after the World Cup.
Many players, especially from the West Indies and South Africa, have recently left India and would like to spend some quality time with their loved ones before returning to India for IPL 2026.
When will the IPL 2026 begin?
The IPL 2026 begins on March 28.
Which two teams will play the opening match of IPL 2026?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad will clash in the opening match on March 28 in Bengaluru.
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