IPL 2026 Schedule Announcement HIGHLIGHTS: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin on March 28. IPLâs official broadcaster Star Sports confirmed the tournamentâs starting date in a social media post on Sunday. The upcoming 19th Edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will feature 84 matches in 2026, making it the largest in IPL history to date, compared with 74 in the previous season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will release the schedule for the first 20 days of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by March 12, said secretary Devajit Saikia.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru will come into the tournament as the defending champions after they created history in the previous edition where they defeated Punjab Kings in the finale. The schedule is expected to be released in two phases by the BCCI. Initially, the schedule for the first 15 days of the tournament will likely be announced. The remaining fixtures will be revealed later once the election dates and security arrangements are finalised.
The IPL 2026 will be played in the double round-robin format. The 10 teams will compete against each other. Every franchise will face opponents both at home and away. Traditionally, the opening match of the cash-rich league features the two finalists of the last season.Â
Defending champions RCB will be led by Rajat Patidar while the last yearâs runners-up Punjab Kings will have Shreyas Iyer at the helm. Chennai Super Kings who have recruited Sanju Samson for this yearâs edition will be captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad while MS Dhoni is all set to feature in the tournament. As per reports, Dhoni might not play all the matches.Â
Rajasthan Royals named Riyan Parag as the new skipper ahead of the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran after Samsonâs departure.Â
Mumbai Indians will have four World Cup-winning players in the unit with Hardik Pandya leading the side. Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah will also don the MI jersey. It will also be interesting to see how Shubman Gill leads Gujarat Titans especially after he was not included in the T20 World Cup squad.Â
Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history last year after winning the cup beating Punjab Kings. The womenâs team made it two trophies for the franchise in two years. The franchise whose cabinet was empty for more than 15 years now has three cups
Delhi Capitals recently did one in Hyderabad and are expected to have one in New Delhi, while Lucknow Super Giants had held a preparatory session in Lucknow.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma is chilling in Maldives ahead of the IPL 2026
Rajasthan Royals are likely to assemble for a practice camp in Jaipur from March 15, while three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their pre-season camp on March 18.Â
Punjab Kings trained in Abu Dhabi in early February and are currently running a practice camp in Dharamsala, while 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad began their camp on March 1 with their domestic players. Five-time winners Mumbai Indians have also started their training for the upcoming season.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru held a small preparation camp at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 10, while 2022 champions Gujarat Titans held practice sessions twice at the Miraj International Cricket Stadium in Nathdwara.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will release the schedule for the first 20 days of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 by March 12, said secretary Devajit Saikia.
âWe plan to announce the IPL 2026 schedule by March 12. For now, we are going to announce the IPL schedule for the first 20 days,â Saikia told IANS on Tuesday.
Traditionally, the two finalists of the previous edition play the opening encounter in the Indian Premier League (IPL), As per reports, either Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) who lifted the cup for the first time in the history will be taking on Punjab Kings (PBKS) whom they defeated in the final in the last season or Chennai Super Kings (CSK).Â
While the fans are waiting for the schedule to be officially announced, Gujarat Titans have named former Australian opener Matthew Hayden as the new batting coach of the side. Hayden has been known for his aggressive batting during his playing days and was an important member of the Australian side in the early 2000s.Â
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is all set to begin on March 28 as announced by the official broadcaster on Sunday. The The IPL 2026 will feature 84 matches in 2026, making it the largest in IPL history to date, compared with 74 in the previous season as per reports.Â
