The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially released the schedule for the first phase of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, covering matches from March 28 to April 12.
This partial fixture list includes 20 games across 10 venues, as the full tournament schedule remains pending due to upcoming State Assembly elections in three states.
The 19th edition of the IPL kicks off on **March 28, 2026**, with defending champions **Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)** hosting **Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)** at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The evening clash sets the stage for what promises to be another thrilling season of T20 cricket.
The following day, **March 29**, sees **Mumbai Indians (MI)** take on **Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)** at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The first double-header arrives on **April 4**, featuring **Delhi Capitals (DC)** vs **Mumbai Indians** in the afternoon (3:30 PM IST) at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, followed by **Gujarat Titans (GT)** vs **Rajasthan Royals (RR)** in the evening (7:30 PM IST) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
**Rajasthan Royals** will play their initial home games in Guwahati, hosting **Chennai Super Kings (CSK)** and **Mumbai Indians**. **Punjab Kings (PBKS)** shift their early home fixtures to the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Notably, RCB will host five home matches in Bengaluru (subject to final clearance from the Karnataka government’s Expert Committee, which conducts a key inspection and mock drill on March 13) and two in Raipur. PBKS plans four in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while RR allocates three in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.
The first phase features four double-headers, with afternoon games at 3:30 PM IST and evening ones at 7:30 PM IST. The complete schedule, including the remaining matches up to the anticipated May 31 final, will be announced once election dates are confirmed to avoid any logistical conflicts.
Fans can view the detailed first-phase fixtures on the official IPL website or BCCI channels.
