IPL 2026 Schedule Announced: RCB vs SRH On March 28 | Check Fixtures, Match Dates & Time | Cricket News

Last Updated:March 11, 2026, 23:48 IST

IPL 2026 Fixtures: First phase of the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League schedule announced.

The BCCI on Wednesday announced the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Representational image

The first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 schedule was announced on Wednesday, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru set to kick off the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The opening match will be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28.

The 19th edition of the world’s largest T20 league will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.

The tournament will include four double-headers, with afternoon matches starting at 03:30 PM IST and evening matches at 07:30 PM IST. Following the opening match on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The season’s first double-header is scheduled for April 4, 2026. The Delhi Capitals will play Mumbai Indians in the afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by the Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, hosting Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play their early home matches at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Throughout the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will hold four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will host three home games in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

IPL also added: “The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches.”

IPL 2026 Fixtures – First Phase

IPL 2026 full schedule — with phase 2 — will be announced later.

The tournament’s schedule announcement will be conducted in two phases, as state assembly elections are scheduled to occur in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala in the coming months.

The final will be held on May 31.

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