The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday (March 11) announced the schedule for the first phase of the IPL 2026 season, to be played from March 28 to April 12.

As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the complete itinerary of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are finalized.

In the event opener, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

A total of 20 matches will be played in the first phase across 10 cities -- Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening encounter, Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 29.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, with Delhi Capitals locking horns with Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Here’s the schedule for the first phase of IPL 2026:

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

(With iplt20.com inputs)