When will IPL 2026 start? New date announced
IPL 2026 will feature more than 70 games among 10 teams from March to May.
The preparations for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has begun as the tournament is scheduled to start later this month. Ten teams will battle for the title in the league, which will see more than 70 games being played over the course of around three months.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will aim to defend their title after winning their first trophy last season. They outplayed Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a nail-biting final of the previous edition. However, RCB will face a tough challenge as all the teams have strengthened their squads by picking a few big players in IPL 2026 auction held in December last year.
Teams have kicked off their preparations with pre-camps for Indian players. With all the teams having big stars this time around, it is expected to be a blockbuster clash.
IPL 2026 to start on March 28
Notably, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the start date of IPL 2026. The tournament will start on Saturday, March 28. The opening game will take place at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The tournament will conclude with the final on May 31.
The BCCI will soon announce the schedule for the tournament. However, it is expected to be released in two phases, like the last season.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) executed one of the biggest trade deals in the tournament’s history ahead of the next season. The CSK traded out all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR in exchange for wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson.
Samson has been inducted by the five-time champions as a successor of MS Dhoni in future. Moreover, Dhoni is set to feature in one more IPL season and has started his preparations in CSK camp.
When will IPL 2026 start?
The IPL 2026 will start on Saturday, March 28
Who are the defending champions of IPL?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions of the tournament.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.