IPL 2026 Fixtures unveiled, season to begin March 28

Mar.17 (Mirror Sports)

The Indian Premier League has announced the opening phase of its 2026 season schedule, confirming fixtures and start times for the first leg of the tournament while the remainder will be revealed later.

The season will begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match in Bengaluru.

Organisers have released fixtures through April 12, giving fans an early look at the first round of clashes in the new campaign. The remaining matches are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the delay in announcing the full schedule is due to upcoming state assembly elections across several parts of the country, which will require extensive security deployments and could affect venue availability and match logistics.

IPL vice-president Rajeev Shukla said the board will finalise the remaining fixtures once polling dates are confirmed by the Election Commission of India.

Despite the staggered announcement, the tournament will begin as planned, with matches scheduled across multiple venues during the opening weeks. The IPL remains one of cricket’s most lucrative and widely followed franchise leagues, attracting top international and domestic players each season.

Here is the schedule so far:

www.iplt20.com