IPL 2026 Schedule Officially Out! RCB Vs SRH Slated For Season Opener In Bengaluru

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt batting against SRH (Source: AFP Photos)

In a significant development, the BCCI on Wednesday confirmed the first-phase schedule of the IPL 2026. The upcoming edition of the tournament will begin on March 28 as previously announced, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) going up against each other at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

There will be as many as 20 matches in the first phase of the IPL schedule that was announced. This included four double headers, with Saturday and Sunday matches being picked as the blockbuster days.

IPL Schedule Unveiled

While RCB vs SRH will begin the IPL 2026, the second match will be between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The MI vs KKR will be held at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face Rajasthan Royals (RR) next, with Guwahati to host the IPL 2008 finalists. All day games will begin at 3.30 PM IST onwards, while the regular night games will get underway at 7.30 PM IST.

Here’s the full IPL 2026 first-phase schedule, as revealed by the BCCI.

RCB To Play 5 Games At Chinnaswamy Subject To Clearance

In an official statement, the IPL governing body also confirmed that RCB will play five league matches at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The other two matches will be in Raipur. However, it will all be based on the “subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka.”

Also Read: RCB IPL Schedule 2026: Fixtures, Venues, Full Squad, Date And Time

The other teams that will have different homes are the Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals. Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer, will have four home matches in New Chandigarh and the remaining three games in Dharamshala. Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, will have three in Guwahati and four games in Jaipur.

Why Full IPL 2026 Schedule Is Not Announced

Those who are unaware, there is a very logical reason behind the BCCI’s move of announcing schedule in phases. There are 84 matches in total this time around in IPL 2026, 10 more than the usual 74. But why not all announced at the same time?

The Assembly Election dates for West Bengal, Kerala and Assam are due, and once they are out, the BCCI will manage to unveil the full IPL fixtures.

“As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced,” Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, said in a statement.

RCB were the IPL 2025 champions, breaking the drought after 18 long years. Rajat Patidar was the captain of the Red and Gold Brigade as they defeated Punjab Kings to bring the trophy home.

Notably, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the most successful IPL franchises in the history of the league, having won the title five times each. KKR are behind them, with three trophies under their belt: 2012, 2014, and 2024. Gautam Gambhir was present for all three occasions with KKR, first two as captain and the last as mentor.

Also Read: CSK CEO Reveals Fresh Update On MS Dhoni's Role For IPL 2026