The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to unveil the schedule for the opening 20 days of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by March 12, according to secretary Devajit Saikia. The 19th season of the tournament is slated to run from March 28 to May 31, a slight shift from the earlier timeframe of March 26 to May 30.
"We plan to announce the IPL 2026 schedule by March 12. For now, we are going to announce the IPL schedule for the first 20 days," Saikia told IANS on Tuesday. Further, he told Cricbuzz, “The second phase of the schedule will be announced after the dates of the Assembly elections are declared by the Election Commission of India."
Another Cricbuzz report stated that the season opener might not see the repeat of the last year's finale between RCB and PBKS. Instead the opening fixture of IPL 2026 could be played between IPL 2025 winners RCB and five-time winners CSK.
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The upcoming assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, Assam, West Bengal and Kerala will have a direct bearing on the IPL schedule this year. According to Cricbuzz, election dates in at least three of these states are expected to influence how the tournament calendar is structured.
Previously, Cricbuzz reported that the IPL Governing Council had approved a two-stage release of the fixtures. "We are waiting for confirmations from a few centres and once they come, we will announce the dates for the first phase," the BCCI secretary told Cricbuzz.
Saikia also confirmed that Raipur will be introduced as a new venue, joining the list of established host cities that traditionally stage IPL matches.
Despite the wait for the full schedule, franchises have already moved into pre-season mode. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings began their preparations on March 1 at the High-Performance Centre in Navalur, with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni among those in attendance.
Reigning title-holders Royal Challengers Bengaluru organised a short training camp at DY Patil Stadium on Feb. 10. The Gujarat Titans, who lifted the trophy in 2022, have also conducted two practice sessions at the Miraj International Cricket Stadium.
At the same time, the continuing conflict in the Middle East has raised global concerns over potential fuel supply disruptions.
However, Saikia said the BCCI is presently factoring in only the upcoming Assembly elections while finalising the schedule for the Indian Premier League. He added that the full fixture list will be released once the polling dates are announced and confirmed that the tournament will conclude by May 31.
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