The fixtures for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is out. This will be the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule. The IPL's official X handle announced that defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has presented the schedule for the first 20 matches of IPL 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12. The full schedule will be announced once poll dates are announced for three states set to undergo State Assembly elections.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ⏳@RCBTweets to take on @SunRisers in the season opener in Bengaluru ❤️🧡
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 11, 2026
Catch the first phase of #TATAIPL 2026 schedule on @StarSportsIndia and @JioHotstar 🙌 pic.twitter.com/L98erPcmTw
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🚨 News 🚨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 11, 2026
Presenting the schedule for the first 20 matches of #TATAIPL 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026 🗓️
Full schedule will be announced once poll dates are announced for three states set to undergo State Assembly elections.
More details ▶️… pic.twitter.com/8Iq492v8TE
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues - Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad.
The opening phase will feature four double-headers, with afternoon games starting at 3:30 p.m. and evening games at 7:30 p.m.. Following the season opener, Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium.
The first double-header of IPL 2026 will take place on April 4, when Delhi Capitals (DC) face MI at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, followed by Gujarat Titans (GT) playing Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
RR will kick off their home campaign in Guwahati, hosting Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and MI. RCB will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. PBKS will host four games in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while RR will play three home fixtures in Guwahati and four matches in Jaipur.
| Match No. | Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 28 | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru |
| 2 | March 29 | MI vs KKR | Mumbai |
| 3 | March 30 | RR vs CSK | Guwahati |
| 4 | March 31 | PBKS vs GT | Mullanpur |
| 5 | April 1 | LSG vs DC | Lucknow |
| 6 | April 2 | KKR vs SRH | Kolkata |
| 7 | April 3 | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai |
| 8 | April 4 | DC vs MI | Delhi |
| 9 | April 4 | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | April 5 | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad |
| 11 | April 5 | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru |
| 12 | April 6 | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata |
| 13 | April 7 | RR vs MI | Guwahati |
| 14 | April 8 | DC vs GT | Delhi |
| 15 | April 9 | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata |
| 16 | April 10 | RR vs RCB | Guwahati |
| 17 | April 11 | PBKS vs SRH | Mullanpur |
| 18 | April 11 | CSK vs DC | Chennai |
| 19 | April 12 | LSG vs GT | Lucknow |
| 20 | April 12 | MI vs RCB | Mumbai |
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It should also be noted that all matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to approval from the Expert Committee appointed by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspect the Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock drill of match-day operations will be carried out to evaluate the venue's readiness to host IPL matches.
This is because of the tragic stampede during last June's title celebrations. With stricter safety protocols now in place, the "12th Man Army" will finally get to see their champions walk out and defend the title on home turf. Cricket at the venue had been suspended since June 2025 after 11 people died and several were injured during the title celebrations.
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