IPL 2026 Schedule for First 20 Matches Announced; Opening Game Set for March 28

New Delhi. The schedule for the first 20 matches of IPL 2026 was released on Wednesday.

The opening match will be played on March 28 between defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). 

This match will take place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Last year on June 4 at this very ground, 11 people died in a stampede that occurred during the victory parade after RCB won their first title. The first phase of IPL 2026 will feature 20 matches played over 16 days. This includes 4 double-header matches. Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will play their first match on March 29 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium. 

Similarly, Chennai Super Kings will start their campaign on March 30 against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Chennai, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will see Sanju Samson playing for the first time in this fixture. He was the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026. 

It has been stated that the schedule for the second phase of the IPL will be released after the dates for the elections in 5 states of India are announced. Since the IPL started in 2008, whenever there have been general elections in India (2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024) or assembly elections in any state, the tournament schedule has been released in two parts. 

The opening match of the league was postponed by 2 days due to elections in 5 states of the country. Earlier, the league was scheduled to start on March 26, but now the league will take place on March 28. There are 4 major stadiums in the states where assembly elections will be held where IPL matches will be played. 

MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is the home ground of Chennai Super Kings. Eden Gardens in Kolkata, West Bengal, is the home ground of Kolkata Knight Riders, while Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, Assam, is the second home ground for Rajasthan Royals.