Indian Premier League 2026: First phase season fixtures confirmed - RCB to face SRH in opening match

IPL 2026 Schedule: Dates, Fixtures and Venues 

The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup certainly wet the whistle for cricket fans this year, and now we prepare for another month of heat-pounding action, with Season 19 of the Indian Premier League set to take centre stage in less than a fortnight. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the 2026 IPL - which we will be covering in our cricket predictions - will get underway on March 28, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru playing host to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener. 

Since there are three states set to undergo State Assembly elections, only the first phase of fixtures, which runs up to April 11, has been confirmed, while the schedule for the remainder of the tournament will be released after the poll dates are announced. 

During the first phase of the competition, 20 matches will be played across 10 venues. Notably, RCB will play five home games in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. The Rajasthan Royals will play three home games in Guwahati and four in Jaipur, while the Punjab Kings will play four and two matches in New Chandigarh and Dharamshala, respectively. 

There are four double-headers on the cards in the first phase, starting with the Delhi Capitals facing off against the Mumbai Indians on April 4.  Afternoon matches are slated to start at 15:30 IST, and evening games will get underway at 19:30 IST. 

The format for this season’s IPL remains unchanged, with all 10 teams competing in the league phase. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin stage will progress to the Playoffs, which include Qualifier 1, an Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the Grand Final.

Check out our IPL predictions

IPL 2026: Confirmed first phase fixtures 

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