The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for the first phase of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, running from March 28 to  April 12. The tournament will begin with a match between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Owing to State Assembly elections in three states during this period, the IPL organising committee, in collaboration with the BCCI, has released the initial phase of the tournament, featuring 20 matches out of a total of 84, ten more than last season. Matches will be played across ten venues, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. Each team will compete in a double round-robin format, facing every other team twice, with the top four advancing to the playoffs, which will include an Eliminator, two Qualifiers, and the grand finale.

Fans can expect four double-header days, with afternoon matches starting at 15:30 IST and evening matches at 19:30 IST. Following the opening match, five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at their home base, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday.

The first double-header is scheduled for 4 April 2026, with Delhi Capitals (DC) hosting Mumbai Indians in the afternoon at Arun Jaitley Stadium, followed by a clash between former champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, hosting Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians at the ACA Stadium. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play four home matches at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) and three at the scenic HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala.

The detailed schedule for the opening phase of TATA IPL 2026 has been released for fans and teams alike.