IPL 2026 Postponed; New Date Revealed

IPL 2026 delayed - (Source: X.com)

In a significant development, there are reports that IPL 2026 has been delayed by a couple of days. Notably, the cash-studded league was set to begin from March 26, but now it will start on March 28.

A report from Cricbuzz reported the news and stated that the BCCI is also set to make an official announcement regarding the same soon. The report also added that the tournament can also begin from March 29, which is three days after the original schedule. 

Notably, during IPL 2026 mega-auction, the board confirmed that IPL  2026 will take place from March 26 (Thursday) to May 31 (Saturday).

Why Did BCCI Delay IPL 2026?

There is no official update from the board, but the decision is taken likely due to upcoming elections and festival. For the unversed, Ram Navami is on Thursday, March 26 and the entire nation will celebrate the festival which could be a major reason that the apex cricket board of India thought of pushing the league by a couple of days. 

Another reason likely behind the postponed event is upcoming state elections in Kolkata. At present, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not revealed the dates, but it is a strong factor behind IPL 2026 getting pushed by a couple of days.

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Also starting the league on Saturday, March 28 means that the IPL could get a double header game on the first day. Although, the Cricbuzz report didn't mention whether the final will be on May 31 or that too will be pushed by a couple days. 

When Will BCCI Reveal IPL 2026 Schedule?

The IPL 2026 schedule is not out yet and the BCCI is waiting for ECI to release the election dates. Previously, it has happened on numerous occasions that a certain fixture has been rescheduled because of lack of security personals on a given day.

 Four state assemblies - Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal will have elections this year and the BCCI will await ECI's schedule for these four states and then release the much-awaited schedule. Notably, Tamil Nadu is home of CSK, while West Bengal is for the KKR.

The report added that the BCCI waited long enough for the ECI to make election dates public, but since time is running out, the board is now contemplating releasing a partial fixture and release the full schedule once the election dates are out.

BCCI holds talks with broadcasters

The board has not formally conveyed to the franchises about the change in schedule, but the apex cricket board did hold a meeting with broadcasters where they did mention about the change in dates. 

Discussions were held on how to maximise publicity and generate interest and excitement through both traditional and social media. Notably, the BCCI is trying to maximise and make full use of the IPL's build-up phase. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will defend their title this time around.

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