The IPL 2026 begins on March 28 and the league stage will conclude on May 24.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the defending champions, will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The league stage will conclude on May 24 with the last game between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
Due to assembly elections in various states, the BCCI announced the schedule until April 12. However, on Thursday evening, the entire schedule was announced as well, which sees 50 matches to be played in the second phase.
The only things remaining are the dates and venues for the playoffs and the final, which will be announced later.
“The remainder of the league stage, comprising 50 matches, will be played from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India. Matches in the second phase will be held in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dharamshala, Raipur, and New Chandigarh.
As the tournament enters a crucial phase, teams will compete across venues for a place in the playoffs, with the race expected to intensify through the latter half of the league stage. The action resumes on April 13, 2026, with Sunrisers Hyderabad taking on Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad, setting the tone for an exciting run of fixtures,” the IPL statement read.
The second round will consist of eight double-headers, with afternoon matches commencing at 03:30 PM IST and evening matches beginning at 07:30 PM IST.
“During this phase, the Punjab Kings will play home matches in New Chandigarh and Dharamshala, with three matches taking place in Dharamshala. The Rajasthan Royals will play four home games in Jaipur, while the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play three in Bengaluru and two in Raipur,” the statement read.
Here is the full schedule of the IPL 2026: