Full IPL 2026 Schedule Confirmed; BCCI Holds Playoffs Dates And Venues

IPL 2026 schedule announced [Source: AFP]

In the latest development, the BCCI has announced the IPL 2026 second phase schedule. The remaining 50 matches of the marquee tournament will be played between April 13 and May 24, across 12 venues in India. Matches in the second phase will be held in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dharamsala, Raipur and New Chandigarh.

The first half of the IPL 2026 schedule was released by the governing body a few days ago, and on Thursday, BCCI revealed the schedule for the second half of the league stage.

IPL 2026 full schedule announced

The first match of the second phase will take place between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals as the second phase kicks-off with a riveting battle between two former champions.

The second phase of the IPL will witness 8 double-header matches, with the afternoon matches starting at 3:30 PM IST, and the evening games at 7:30 PM. The venues for the Playoffs will be announced later by the governing body.

The two stalwarts of the IPL, CSK and Mumbai Indians, will play twice against each other in the second half. The first clash will occur on April 23 in Mumbai, and Chennai will host the return leg on May 2.

There were speculations that more than 74 matches would be played this season, but all the rumours were quashed as the board revealed the final schedule, barring the playoffs.

Also Read: Major IPL 2026 Boost For RCB: Josh Hazlewood Lands In Bengaluru Amid Injury Scare

Why the IPL 2026 schedule was announced in two phases?

State Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Assam, and West Bengal would have hampered the IPL 2026 matches. With the elections taking place, states would have required heavy security, and if the IPL matches had taken place in the same place, it would have been difficult to provide ample security in stadiums.

Following the stampede situation outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium, the BCCI and the state cricket boards are cautious with crowd management, and if there is one thing they would not want to compromise on, it is the security of the fans and the players.

The IPL governing body was waiting for the state election dates to be revealed, and once that was out, it became easier for the BCCI to plan, and hence, the IPL schedule 2026 release was divided into two parts.

RCB to play two home games in Raipur

Despite winning the IPL 2025 championship, RCB suffered a lot as the team witnessed a stampede situation, which killed at least 11 people. There were doubts that Chinnaswamy Stadium, their home ground, might not get the clearance on time, but that all changed as the venue was allowed to host five RCB matches.

However, they still had to play two home games in away venues, and the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur was picked as their second home venue.

In the IPL 2026 schedule that was announced, RCB will take on the Mumbai Indians in Raipur on May 10, and a couple of days later, on May 13, they will battle against KKR in their new home away from home.

Also Read: IPL 2026 Schedule, Live Streaming, Live Telecast In India, Squads, Start Date, Teams