IPL 2026 Schedule: Full Details, Opening Matches, Teams & Early Fixtures
IPL 2026 Schedule: Full Details, Opening Matches, Teams & Early Fixtures
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to return with another electrifying season in IPL 2026, bringing together the world’s best T20 cricketers for two months of intense cricket action. With 10 powerhouse teams, packed stadiums, and millions of fans watching worldwide, the TATA IPL 2026 promises explosive batting, thrilling last-over finishes, and unforgettable rivalries.
The tournament is expected to run from late March to late May 2026, with the opening match likely to take place around March 22–28, 2026, and the final scheduled for May 31, 2026. The official fixtures will be confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the official IPL platform **IPL T20 soon.
Meanwhile, early schedule leaks and fan-shared fixture lists have given fans a glimpse of the opening matches and early league games of IPL 2026.
IPL 2026 Overview
- Tournament: TATA IPL 2026
- Organizer: Board of Control for Cricket in India
- Teams: 10
- Expected Start Date: Late March 2026
- Expected Final: May 31, 2026
- Format: Double round-robin league stage followed by playoffs
- Total Matches: Likely around 74
The tournament will be played across major Indian venues including Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and additional venues like Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and New Chandigarh.
IPL 2026 Teams
The 10 teams participating in the 2026 season are:
- Chennai Super Kings
- Mumbai Indians
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Delhi Capitals
- Rajasthan Royals
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Punjab Kings
- Lucknow Super Giants
- Gujarat Titans
Each team will compete in the league stage to secure a spot in the top four playoff positions.
IPL 2026 Opening Match
The opening clash of the tournament is expected to feature:
Match 1 – March 22, 2026
- Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
- Venue: Kolkata
- Time: 7:30 PM IST
This match is expected to kick off the season with a massive crowd and high expectations.
BREAKING IPL 2026 Schedule #IPL2026
IPL 2026 Schedule: Full Details, Opening Matches, Teams & Early Fixtures
Below is the extracted and cleaned-up early schedule in table format for easy reference (covering the provided matches up to Match 37). All times are in PM IST, and this represents the league phase’s initial portion.
| Match No | Match Day | Date | Day | Start Time | Home Team | Away Team | Venue |
| 1 | 1 | 22-Mar-26 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Kolkata |
| 2 | 2 | 23-Mar-26 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajasthan Royals | Hyderabad |
| 3 | 2 | 23-Mar-26 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | Chennai |
| 4 | 3 | 24-Mar-26 | Mon | 7:30 PM | (Not specified in partial) | (Possibly Delhi or other) | – |
| 5 | 4 | 25-Mar-26 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow Super Giants | Visakhapatnam |
| 6 | 5 | 26-Mar-26 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals | Kolkata Knight Riders | Guwahati |
| 7 | 6 | 27-Mar-26 | Thu | 7:30 PM | (Possibly opener shift) | – | – |
| 8 | 7 | 28-Mar-26 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad |
| 9 | 8 | 29-Mar-26 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai |
| 10 | 8 | 29-Mar-26 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans | Mumbai Indians | Ahmedabad |
| 11 | 9 | 30-Mar-26 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Visakhapatnam |
| 12 | 10 | 31-Mar-26 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati |
| 13 | 10 | 31-Mar-26 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai |
| 14 | 11 | 01-Apr-26 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants | Punjab Kings | Lucknow |
| 15 | 12 | 02-Apr-26 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Gujarat Titans | Bengaluru |
| 16 | 13 | 03-Apr-26 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata |
| 17 | 14 | 04-Apr-26 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants | Mumbai Indians | Lucknow |
| 18 | 15 | 05-Apr-26 | Sat | 3:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai |
| 19 | 15 | 05-Apr-26 | Sat | (Double?) | Punjab Kings | Rajasthan Royals | New Chandigarh |
| 20 | 16 | 06-Apr-26 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata |
| 21 | 17 | 07-Apr-26 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Gujarat Titans | Hyderabad |
| 22 | 17 | 07-Apr-26 | Sun | (Double?) | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai |
| 23 | 18 | 08-Apr-26 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings | Chennai Super Kings | New Chandigarh |
| 24 | 19 | 09-Apr-26 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad |
| 25 | 20 | 10-Apr-26 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Delhi Capitals | Bengaluru |
| 26 | 21 | 11-Apr-26 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai |
| 27 | 22 | 12-Apr-26 | Sat | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow |
| 28 | 22 | 12-Apr-26 | Sat | 7:30 PM | (Evening double) | – | – |
| 29 | 23 | 13-Apr-26 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Punjab Kings | Hyderabad |
| 30 | 23 | 13-Apr-26 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Jaipur |
| 31 | 24 | 14-Apr-26 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| 32 | 24 | 14-Apr-26 | Mon | (Double?) | Lucknow Super Giants | Chennai Super Kings | Lucknow |
| 33 | 25 | 15-Apr-26 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | New Chandigarh |
| 34 | 26 | 16-Apr-26 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals | Rajasthan Royals | Delhi |
| 35 | 27 | 17-Apr-26 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| 36 | 29 | 18-Apr-26 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Punjab Kings | Bengaluru |
| 37 | 29 | 19-Apr-26 | Sat | 3:30 PM | Gujarat Titans | Delhi Capitals | Ahmedabad |
| 38 | 29 | 19-Apr-26 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals | Lucknow Super Giants | Jaipur |
| 39 | 30 | 20-Apr-26 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | New Chandigarh |
This early phase sets the tone for what promises to be a blockbuster season, with balanced home-away games and plenty of primetime action. Stay tuned to official sources like iplt20.com for the complete, confirmed fixture list, team news, and live updates as the 2026 campaign approaches. Who’s your pick to lift the trophy this year? Kuwait Announces Automatic Visit Visa Extension and 3-Month Absence Permit for Residents Abroad | 2026