IPL 2026 Full Schedule: Match List, Dates, Venues and Complete Time Table
The wait is finally over. The Indian Premier League is back — bigger, louder, and more spectacular than ever before. IPL 2026 is officially the largest edition of the tournament in its 19-year history, and every cricket fan in India and around the world has been counting down the days since the last ball of IPL 2025 was bowled. Whether you are planning your match-day schedules, booking tickets, or just want to know when your favourite team is playing, this is your complete one-stop guide to the full IPL 2026 schedule — all matches, all dates, all venues, and everything in between.
IPL 2026: The Big Numbers
Let us start with the headline figures because they tell you everything about the scale of this season. IPL 2026 features 84 matches in total — ten more than last season — spread across ten cities and some of the most iconic cricket stadiums in the world. The tournament runs from March 28 to May 31, 2026, giving fans over two full months of non-stop T20 action. Ten teams will compete, each playing 14 league stage matches before the top four advance to the playoffs. The format then narrows to Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Grand Final.
The BCCI announced the schedule in phases due to upcoming State Assembly elections in parts of India, which meant that only the first 20 matches were confirmed in the initial release. The remaining fixtures will be announced once polling dates are confirmed by the Election Commission of India. What we do know is that the opening ball will be bowled in Bengaluru on March 28, and the final will return to the same city on May 31 — a full-circle moment for defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who will be looking to defend their maiden title on home soil.
Match Timings: When Do Games Start?
Before diving into the fixtures, here are the standard match timings for IPL 2026 that every fan needs to save:
Evening Matches: 7:30 PM IST — This is the primary time slot for most IPL 2026 fixtures, particularly weekday games and single-game weekend evenings.
Afternoon Matches: 3:30 PM IST — Used for the first game of weekend double-headers, where two matches are scheduled on the same day.
Double-headers begin from April 4 onward, meaning fans can enjoy back-to-back IPL action on select Saturdays and Sundays — an entire day of cricket with two different fixtures, two sets of teams, and twice the drama.
IPL 2026 Venues: The Stadiums Hosting the Action
IPL 2026 will be hosted across some of India’s greatest cricket venues, each bringing its own unique character, crowd energy, and playing surface to the competition.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru — Home of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the venue for both the opening match and the Grand Final on May 31. Short boundaries, batting-friendly surface, electric crowd — Chinnaswamy is one of the most exciting venues in world cricket.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai — Home of Mumbai Indians. One of the fastest outfields in the IPL, short square boundaries, and a crowd that creates one of the most intimidating home atmospheres in the tournament.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata — Home of Kolkata Knight Riders. The largest cricket stadium in India with a capacity of over 66,000, Eden Gardens creates a wall of noise that makes it one of the toughest away venues for any visiting side.
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — Home of Chennai Super Kings. The Chepauk surface is one of the best spin-bowling tracks in the IPL, and CSK use it expertly to their advantage every single season.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad — Home of Sunrisers Hyderabad. A ground that offers pace and bounce early before flattening out to produce high totals later in matches.
Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur — Home of Punjab Kings. One of the newest and most modern IPL venues, it has already established itself as a high-scoring fortress for the Kings.
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur — One of two home venues for Rajasthan Royals. A ground with passionate fan support and surfaces that offer something for both batters and bowlers.
Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati — Shared home venue for Rajasthan Royals in the early phase of the season. One of the newest IPL venues, bringing IPL cricket to the passionate fans of Northeast India.
Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi — Home of Delhi Capitals. A ground that can play very differently depending on whether the match is an afternoon or evening fixture, with dew playing a significant factor in night games.
BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow — Home of Lucknow Super Giants. A modern stadium with a surface that tends to assist pace bowling, making it one of the more bowler-friendly venues in the competition.
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Nava Raipur — Used by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for select away fixtures, bringing IPL cricket to Chhattisgarh for the first time.
IPL 2026 Phase One: The First 20 Matches in Full
Here is the complete confirmed fixture list for the first phase of IPL 2026, covering all 20 matches from March 28 to April 12:
Match 1 — RCB vs SRH March 28 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM IST The tournament opener. Defending champions RCB face a dangerous SRH side in what is an immediate blockbuster to kick off the season.
Match 2 — MI vs KKR March 29 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM IST Five-time champions vs three-time champions. The first Sunday of the season delivers a marquee fixture at the Wankhede.
Match 3 — RR vs CSK March 30 | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM IST One of the most anticipated early fixtures — Ravindra Jadeja faces his former franchise CSK for the first time, while Sanju Samson lines up against the side he was traded from.
Match 4 — PBKS vs GT March 31 | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mullanpur | 7:30 PM IST IPL 2025 finalists Punjab Kings open their home campaign against Gujarat Titans.
Match 5 — LSG vs DC April 1 | BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM IST Rishabh Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants begin their quest for a maiden title at home.
Match 6 — KKR vs SRH April 2 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM IST The cauldron of Eden Gardens hosts SRH as KKR look to assert their home dominance early.
Match 7 — CSK vs PBKS April 3 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:30 PM IST CSK bring Punjab Kings to Chepauk — a spin-heavy surface that will test PBKS’s top order severely.
Match 8 — DC vs MI April 4 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 3:30 PM IST The first afternoon match of the season — MI travel to Delhi in a double-header opener.
Match 9 — GT vs RR April 4 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM IST The evening game of the first double-header sees Gujarat Titans host Rajasthan Royals in front of a massive home crowd.
Match 10 — SRH vs LSG April 5 | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:30 PM IST SRH’s first home game of the season as they host Lucknow Super Giants at Uppal.
Match 11 — RCB vs CSK April 5 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 3:30 PM IST One of the most anticipated rivalries in IPL history — RCB vs CSK, a fixture that always delivers high drama and unforgettable moments.
Match 12 — KKR vs PBKS April 6 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM IST Two title-hungry sides collide at the iconic Eden Gardens in what promises to be a thriller.
Match 13 — RR vs MI April 7 | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM IST MI’s away fixture in Guwahati — a tricky ground in a neutral city that will test both sides’ adaptability.
Match 14 — DC vs GT April 8 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi | 7:30 PM IST Delhi Capitals host Gujarat Titans in a fixture between two sides desperate to return to playoff cricket.
Match 15 — KKR vs LSG April 9 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM IST KKR’s third home game of the phase as they take on Lucknow under the Eden floodlights.
Match 16 — RR vs RCB April 10 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 7:30 PM IST RR’s first home game at the iconic SMS Stadium in Jaipur — defending champions RCB face the Pink Brigade.
Match 17 — PBKS vs SRH April 11 | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mullanpur | 3:30 PM IST An afternoon double-header opener as PBKS host a dangerous SRH side at their fortress.
Match 18 — CSK vs DC April 11 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:30 PM IST CSK host Delhi Capitals in their second Chepauk fixture of the phase.
Match 19 — LSG vs GT April 12 | BRSABV Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 3:30 PM IST LSG’s second home game sees them welcome Gujarat Titans to Lucknow in an afternoon fixture.
Match 20 — MI vs RCB April 12 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM IST The perfect way to close Phase One — Mumbai Indians vs defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Wankhede. This is the match every cricket fan has been waiting for.
The Playoffs and Final
The top four teams on the points table at the end of the 14-match league stage will qualify for the playoffs. The schedule for the playoffs will be announced by the BCCI separately, but what is confirmed is that the Grand Final will take place on May 31, 2026, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru — a fitting venue for the biggest night in Indian T20 cricket.
Final Word: Mark Your Calendars
IPL 2026 is set to be the most spectacular, most action-packed, and most unpredictable season in the history of the tournament. With 84 matches, 10 teams, new rivalries, blockbuster signings, and the defending champions looking to make history, there has never been a better time to be an IPL fan. Save the dates. Book your tickets. Set your reminders.
The greatest show in cricket is here. Let the games begin.
#IPL2026 🏏🔥
