Will war in Middle East affect the start of IPL 2026? Know here
The IPL 2026 will be played from March 28 to May 31 as per the current schedule.
The countdown for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) has begun. The tournament will begin in the last week of this month. IPL 2026, the 19th edition of India’s franchise T20 league, is likely to start on March 28 and conclude with the final on May 31.
The tournament was originally scheduled to begin on March 26; however, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pushed it forward by two days last month. The dates were revised due to the upcoming assembly elections in states like Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
The complete IPL 2026 schedule is yet to be announced. All 10 teams have already started their preparations for the upcoming season with preparatory camps for their players.
Amid IPL 2026 preparations, a new threat has come into the forefront that is beyond BCCI’s control. On February 28, a war broke out between Iran, the USA-Israel which has affected many countries in the Middle East.
The US and Israel launched aerial strikes on Iranian sites. In response, Iran have attacked US airbases in Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Due to the war, these Middle Eastern countries are under big threats.
How will the ongoing war in the Middle East impact IPL 2026?
Notably, due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, flight operations and air travel from these countries have been closed. IPL 2026 has many overseas players who rely upon transit hubs in the Gulf for international travel.
The hubs in cities like Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi have been closed. Hence, the franchises are concerned about the timely arrival of their overseas players and support staff members.
There has been no official announcement from the BCCI regarding the delay in IPL 2026 yet. However, all the franchises are aware that many foreign players, coaches, and support staff rely on transit airports in Gulf countries to travel to and from India.
Often, all flights coming to India from countries such as England, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand have a transit hub in the UAE.
When will IPL 2026 start?
The upcoming IPL season will start on March 28. However, BCCI is scheduled to announce the complete schedule in a few days.
Will the war in the Middle East affect the start of IPL 2026?
The war in the Middle East can affect the flight travels of many international players, coaches, and staff members. Hence, the start of the upcoming IPL season may be delayed. But there is no such announcement by the BCCI as of now.
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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.