IPL 2026 Schedule: First Phase Announced — 20 Matches from March 28 to April 12
More Information about the deal
The BCCI officially announced the IPL 2026 first phase schedule on March 11, 2026. The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League — branded as TATA IPL 2026 — will kick off on March 28 when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
A total of 20 matches across 10 venues have been scheduled in Phase 1 (March 28 — April 12). The full schedule will be announced in two phases because three states — West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam — are due to hold State Assembly elections, affecting match venues in Kolkata, Chennai and Guwahati.
IPL 2026 Phase 1 Schedule — All 20 Matches
| Match | Teams | Venue | Date | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RCB vs SRH | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 28 Mar | 7:30 PM |
| 2 | MI vs KKR | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 29 Mar | 7:30 PM |
| 3 | RR vs CSK | Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati | 30 Mar | 7:30 PM |
| 4 | PBKS vs GT | PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh | 31 Mar | 7:30 PM |
| 5 | LSG vs DC | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 1 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 6 | KKR vs SRH | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 7 | CSK vs PBKS | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 3 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 8 | DC vs MI | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 4 Apr | 3:30 PM |
| 9 | GT vs RR | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 4 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 10 | SRH vs LSG | Rajiv Gandhi Int’l Stadium, Hyderabad | 5 Apr | 3:30 PM |
| 11 | RCB vs CSK | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 5 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 12 | KKR vs PBKS | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 6 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 13 | RR vs MI | Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati | 7 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 14 | DC vs GT | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 8 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 15 | KKR vs LSG | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 9 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 16 | RR vs RCB | Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati | 10 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 17 | PBKS vs SRH | PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh | 11 Apr | 3:30 PM |
| 18 | CSK vs DC | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 11 Apr | 7:30 PM |
| 19 | LSG vs GT | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 12 Apr | 3:30 PM |
| 20 | MI vs RCB | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 12 Apr | 7:30 PM |
Key Highlights from Phase 1
- Opening match: RCB vs SRH — March 28, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (7:30 PM IST)
- 4 double-headers: April 4, 5, 11 and 12 — with afternoon matches at 3:30 PM and evening matches at 7:30 PM
- All 10 teams will play 4 matches each in Phase 1
- Marquee clashes in Phase 1: MI vs KKR, RR vs CSK (Sanju Samson returns to face former team), RCB vs CSK (Virat Kohli vs MS Dhoni), MI vs RCB
- Secondary home grounds: RCB play 2 home games in Raipur, PBKS play 3 in Dharamsala, RR play 3 in Guwahati
Why Was the Full Schedule Not Released?
The BCCI announced only Phase 1 because West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam are scheduled to hold State Assembly elections. Venues in these states — Eden Gardens (KKR), MA Chidambaram Stadium (CSK) and Barsapara Stadium (RR) — are affected. The full schedule will be released once election poll dates are announced. This is standard practice for IPL in election years — it happened in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024.
Bengaluru Matches Subject to Karnataka Government Clearance
All matches at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The stadium inspection took place on March 13, 2026, where a full mock demonstration of match-day crowd management was conducted. The KSCA presented detailed safety upgrades following the tragic stampede during RCB’s 2025 title celebrations, in which 11 people lost their lives. The Karnataka government has since given the green light for IPL matches to be held at the venue.
How to Watch IPL 2026 Live
All IPL 2026 matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports on TV and streamed free on JioHotstar in India. For the full streaming guide, see our How to Watch IPL 2026 Live guide.
Check the complete IPL 2026 Full Schedule and track standings on the IPL 2026 Points Table. For official schedule details, visit iplt20.com.