IPL 2026 Full Schedule: Fixtures, Dates & Venues

The BCCI dropped what every cricket fan had been waiting for. On March 26, 2026, the board released the complete IPL 2026 full schedule — all 70 league-stage fixtures mapped out, venue by venue, city by city. The playoffs and final schedule will be confirmed separately, but the board made one thing clear right away: the final is locked in for May 31 in Bengaluru.

“This is going to be the biggest IPL in history,” a franchise official said quietly, scrolling through the fixture list. With 84 total matches, including playoffs, he is not wrong.

Fans across India and beyond, tracking every update on platforms like Vegas11 News, had been refreshing their screens for weeks. Now, the wait is officially over.

IPL 2026 Full Schedule: Start Date, Final Date & Key Details

The 2026 Indian Premier League — also known as IPL 19 and officially branded as TATA IPL 2026 — is the 19th edition of the competition. The tournament features 10 teams competing across 84 matches, running from March 28 to May 31, 2026.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host the opening match and the final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The tournament kicks off on March 28 with RCB versus Sunrisers Hyderabad at 7:30 PM IST.

That opening fixture carries a weight no scoreboard can measure. It marks the return of top-level cricket to M. Chinnaswamy Stadium following the stampede during RCB victory celebrations last year, which claimed 11 lives. The roar inside that ground on Saturday evening will carry grief, resilience, and joy in equal measure.

Why the IPL 2026 Schedule Came in Two Phases

Not everything went to plan from the start. The BCCI initially released only the first 20 fixtures — up to April 12 — due to the announcement of assembly election dates in states including Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The remaining fixtures were finalised and released once the electoral picture became clear.

The second phase covers 50 matches played between April 13 and May 24 across 12 venues. It opens with Sunrisers Hyderabad facing Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad.

IPL 2026 Venues: 12 Cities Hosting the Action

Matches are spread across 12 cities: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dharamsala, Raipur, and New Chandigarh.

Two venue stories stand out. Raipur has been added as a second home ground for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who will host Mumbai Indians there on May 10 and Kolkata Knight Riders on May 13. Meanwhile, Dharamsala returns to the schedule to host a Delhi Capitals versus Punjab Kings fixture on May 11— a game that was disrupted in the previous edition. Delhi Capitals, notably, play their entire home leg in Delhi this season, unlike recent years where they shared duties with Visakhapatnam.

IPL 2026 Full Schedule — All 70 League Fixtures

IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule (Dates & Venues TBC)

The playoffs are expected to begin around May 26, with Qualifier 1 in Bengaluru. The final is confirmed for May 31, also in Bengaluru— the same city, the same ground, the same crowd that witnessed glory turn to tragedy just twelve months ago. The BCCI will release the detailed playoff schedule closer to the date.

Three IPL 2026 Fixtures You Cannot Miss

RCB vs MI — May 10, Raipur (7:30 PM IST) The defending champions travel to their own second home at Raipur to face the most decorated franchise in IPL history. A new city, a full house, and the two heavyweights of Indian T20 cricket. Block the evening.

CSK vs KKR — April 14, Chennai (7:30 PM IST) Two finalists, one ground. MS Dhoni’s fortress against the two-time back-to-back champions. The noise inside Chepauk for this one will be something else entirely.

SRH vs RCB — May 22, Hyderabad (7:30 PM IST) The final league fixture between these two is a potential preview of May 31. If either side needs momentum heading into the playoffs, this is where the statement gets made.

What Changes in IPL 2026 Make This Season Different

The IPL Governing Council confirmed that the league expands to 84 matches for 2026 and 2027, with a further expansion to 94 matches expected from 2028 onwards when the complete double round-robin format used until 2021 is reintroduced.

At the auction, Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history, purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore. Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma became joint record holders for uncapped players, both bought by Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 crore each.

There is also the Jadeja story. A pre-season trade saw Ravindra Jadeja move from Chennai Super Kings to Rajasthan Royals, with T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson going the other way to CSK. Two legends. Two new homes. Two fanbases holding their breath.

IPL 2026 Match Timings

All evening matches begin at 7:30 PM IST. Double-header afternoon games start at 3:30 PM IST. The number of double-headers has been increased this season, with eight additional afternoon-evening pairings added to the three already confirmed in the first phase.

Quick Facts: TATA IPL 2026

The IPL 2026 full schedule is out and the tournament begins tomorrow. Every fixture is a story waiting to happen — from RCB opening at a ground that still carries the memory of last year, to Jadeja walking out in Rajasthan pink for the first time, to Raipur hosting its first-ever IPL match.

Cricket fans staying across every ball of every game — and there are 84 of them now — know exactly where to find the schedule, the scores, and the moments that matter. Vegas11 News will be tracking every fixture as it unfolds, from the March 28 opener right through to the May 31 final under the Bengaluru lights.

Eighty-four matches. One champion. The IPL 2026 full schedule is set — now the cricket does the talking.

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