IPL 2026: Schedule, Venues, Teams & Big Player Trades

Eighty-four matches. Ten teams. One trophy. The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is almost here, and the cricket world is already at fever pitch. BCCI officially dropped the Phase 1 schedule on March 11, and within hours, fans, analysts, and fantasy cricket players were dissecting every fixture, every venue, and every off-season trade that turned the league on its head.

Here is everything you need to know before the first ball is bowled.

IPL 2026 Start Date, Final Date & Venue

Mark March 28 in red. That is when reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the season opener — a stadium that needs no introduction after the scenes it witnessed during RCB’s first-ever title celebration last year.

The tournament runs all the way to May 31, with the final also scheduled at Chinnaswamy, making Bengaluru both the host of the opening ceremony and the venue for the ultimate prize. Whether RCB can defend their title on their own turf is one of the most compelling questions heading into the season.

One notable backstory: the stadium’s approval to host IPL matches was only confirmed after a government-appointed expert committee cleared it following a tragic stampede during last year’s victory parade. That clearance brought relief to millions of RCB fans and gave the season its rightful home.

IPL 2026 Phase 1 Schedule: All 20 Matches

BCCI released only the first 20 fixtures due to upcoming state assembly elections in Assam, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal — three states where IPL host cities are located. The second phase will be announced once election dates are confirmed.

Here is the full Phase 1 schedule:

Phase 1 features four double-headers across the opening fortnight — ideal for fans who want back-to-back cricket action every weekend.

IPL 2026 Venues: Where Are the 10 Teams Playing?

Phase 1 alone spans 10 different cities, giving fans across India a chance to watch live cricket early in the season.

Home ground breakdown for Phase 1:

• RCB — M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru (5 home games); Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur (2 home games)
• MI — Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
• CSK — MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
• KKR — Eden Gardens, Kolkata
• SRH — Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
• RR — Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati (early fixtures); Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur (later in season)
• PBKS — PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh (4 home games); HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala (3 home games)
• DC — Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
• GT — Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• LSG — BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

The playoffs begin May 26, with the final on May 31 back in Bengaluru.

IPL 2026 Teams: All 10 Franchises

The same 10 franchises return for another shot at glory:

Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai Indians | Gujarat Titans | Delhi Capitals | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Rajasthan Royals | Punjab Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders

This season introduces an expanded format — 84 matches in total, ten more than last season — with all teams playing each other twice in a double round-robin. The top four sides advance to the playoffs.

IPL 2026 Player Trades: Who Changed Teams?

The off-season trade window produced some of the most dramatic squad reshuffles in IPL history. Here is the full breakdown.

Sanju Samson to CSK | Jadeja & Sam Curran to RR

This is the one that stopped Indian cricket in its tracks.

Sanju Samson — who captained Rajasthan Royals for several seasons and just won the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup 2026 — is now a Chennai Super King. In exchange, RR received veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran from CSK.

Jadeja spent 12 years at CSK before this move. His fee dropped from ₹18 crore to ₹14 crore as part of the trade agreement, while Samson retained his ₹18 crore valuation at his new home.

What makes March 30 — RR vs CSK in Guwahati — the most anticipated fixture of Phase 1 is obvious. Jadeja will face MS Dhoni and the franchise he gave more than a decade of his career to. Samson will stand across from the team he built and the fans who made him captain. It is not just a cricket match. It is a reckoning.

With Samson gone, Riyan Parag steps up as Rajasthan Royals captain — a role he held briefly in 2025 and now inherits full time.

Mohammed Shami to Lucknow Super Giants

In a straight cash deal worth ₹10 crore, experienced India pacer Mohammed Shami moved from Sunrisers Hyderabad to Lucknow Super Giants. Shami brings with him 119 IPL appearances and a Purple Cap from 2023, when he claimed 28 wickets in 17 games for Gujarat Titans. LSG now have a frontline seam attack that can trouble any batting lineup in the country.

Nitish Rana to Delhi Capitals

Left-handed batter Nitish Rana, who has 100-plus IPL appearances to his name and previously captained KKR during an injury crisis in 2023, joins Delhi Capitals from Rajasthan Royals for ₹4.2 crore. DC get a proven, flexible top-order option who knows big-game pressure.

All Confirmed IPL 2026 Trades at a Glance

Why IPL 2026 Is the Season to Watch

Eight of the ten trades involved teams reshaping their entire identity — not just filling squad gaps. Mumbai Indians now have pace in Shardul Thakur, power in Sherfane Rutherford, and spin in Mayank Markande. Lucknow have built one of the most dangerous seam attacks in the tournament with Shami leading the charge.

At Vegas11 News, we have been tracking every squad move, auction pick, and captaincy call since the trade window opened — and nothing has matched the anticipation building around this particular IPL season. The storylines are layered, the rivalries are personal, and the cricket promises to be fierce.

Whether you are following the fixture list, building your fantasy team, or simply watching for the moment Jadeja walks out at Guwahati in a Royal Challengers Bengaluru jersey instead of yellow — IPL 2026 has something for everyone.

The season starts March 28. Do not miss it.

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