First phase of the IPL 2026 schedule.RCB opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28.

BCCI on Wednesday has unveiled the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule. Defending champions RCB will kick off the season with a return to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru for the opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28. Beaten finalists Punjab Kings will open their campaign against Gujarat Titans on 31 March in Mullanpur.

Mumbai Indians will face off against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium. A full schedule will be announced after the state assembly elections in 3 states.

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST. Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh.

IPL 2026 schedule

28 Mar 2026 (Sat): Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Bengaluru

29 Mar 2026 (Sun): Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders — Mumbai

30 Mar 2026 (Mon): Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings — Guwahati

31 Mar 2026 (Tue): Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans — Mullanpur

01 Apr 2026 (Wed): Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals — Lucknow

02 Apr 2026 (Thu): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Kolkata

03 Apr 2026 (Fri): Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings — Chennai

04 Apr 2026 (Sat): Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians — Delhi

04 Apr 2026 (Sat): Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — Ahmedabad

05 Apr 2026 (Sun): Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants — Hyderabad

05 Apr 2026 (Sun): Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings — Bengaluru

06 Apr 2026 (Mon): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings — Kolkata

07 Apr 2026 (Tue): Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians — Guwahati

08 Apr 2026 (Wed): Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans — Delhi

09 Apr 2026 (Thu): Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants — Kolkata

10 Apr 2026 (Fri): Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — Guwahati

11 Apr 2026 (Sat): Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — Mullanpur

11 Apr 2026 (Sat): Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals — Chennai

12 Apr 2026 (Sun): Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans — Lucknow

12 Apr 2026 (Sun): Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — Mumbai