New Delhi: The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will host matches for the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League season but there is one important condition.Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first phase of IPL 2026 on Wednesday, with the matches taking place from March 28 to April 12. The 19th edition of the tournament will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
However, scheduling matches at iconic venues requires approval from a government-appointed expert committee.“As three states are scheduled to hold state assembly elections during this period, the complete schedule of matches will be announced after the polling dates are announced,” the BCCI said in a release.A total of 20 matches will be played in 10 venues including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad in the first phase.The BCCI also clarified that the match in Bengaluru will be subject to final security clearance from the authorities.“The match scheduled to be held in Bengaluru requires the approval of the expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a comprehensive mock demonstration of the match-day arrangements will be conducted to assess the stadium’s readiness to host IPL matches,” BCCI said.In the first stage, the competition will feature four doubleheaders, with the afternoon game starting at 03:30 pm (IST) and the evening game starting at 07:30 pm (IST).
IPL 2026: Schedule
| match | date | sky | time | site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB vs SRH | March 28, 2026 | Saturday | night | bangalore |
| MI vs KKR | March 29, 26 | sun | night | mumbai |
| RR vs CSK | March 30, 26 | on Monday | night | Guwahati |
| PBKS vs GT | March 31, 26 | Tuesday | night | Mulanpur |
| LSG and DC | April 1, 26 | Wednesday | night | Lucknow |
| KKR vs SRH | April 2, 26 | Thursday | night | calcutta |
| CSK vs PBKS | April 3, 26 | Friday | night | chennai |
| DC and MI | April 4, 26 | Saturday | afternoon | delhi |
| GT vs RR | April 4, 26 | Saturday | night | Ahmedabad |
| SRH vs LSG | April 5, 26 | sun | afternoon | Hyderabad |
| RCB vs CSK | April 5, 26 | sun | night | bangalore |
| KKR vs PBKS | April 6, 26 | on Monday | night | calcutta |
| RR and MI | April 7, 26 | Tuesday | night | Guwahati |
| DC and GT | April 8, 26 | Wednesday | night | delhi |
| KKR vs LSG | April 9, 26 | Thursday | night | calcutta |
| RR and RCB | April 10, 26 | Friday | night | Guwahati |
| PBKS vs SRH | April 11, 26 | Saturday | afternoon | Mulanpur |
| CSK vs. DC | April 11, 26 | Saturday | night | chennai |
| LSG vs GT | April 12, 26 | sun | afternoon | Lucknow |
| MI vs RCB | April 12, 26 | sun | night | mumbai |
The first double-header of the season is scheduled to be played on April 4 when Delhi Capitals take on Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the afternoon, 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. Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab will play their early home match at the PCA Stadium.As per the current plan, Royal Challengers Bangalore will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Kings XI Punjab will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will split their home matches between Guwahati and Jaipur.However, the final confirmation of the Bengaluru match will depend on the inspection and approval by the expert committee of the Karnataka government.
