On Thursday (March 12), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 schedule.
Despite the mounting issues of the limited supply of LPG gas cylinders, the 19th season of the league will commence as per the tentatively scheduled date on March 28 (Saturday).
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will face off against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the season opener at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
However, the Indian cricket board has revealed only the initial phase of the schedule till April 12 (Sunday). In other words, the dates and venues for the first 20 matches have been finalized, with the next phase of the schedule expected to be announced soon.
Hosting Venues for IPL 2026 First Phase
The starting 20 fixtures of IPL 2026 will be staged across these 10 different venues in India, namely:
- Bengaluru: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
- Mumbai: Wankhede Stadium
- Guwahati: Barsapara Cricket Stadium
- Mullanpur: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium
- Lucknow: Ekana Cricket Stadium
- Kolkata: Eden Gardens
- Chennai: MA Chidambaram Stadium / Chepauk Stadium
- Delhi: Arun Jaitley Stadium
- Ahmedabad: Narendra Modi Stadium
- Hyderabad: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium
IPL 2026 Phase 1 Schedule: Dates, Venues, and Timings
Here is how the schedule has been organized for the first 20 matches of the IPL 2026 season:
| Match Number | Date and Day | Team 1 vs Team 2 | Venue | Timings (IST) | |
| Team 1 | Team 2 | ||||
| 1. | March 28 (Saturday) | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru | 07:30 pm |
| 2. | March 29 (Sunday) | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai | 07:30 pm |
| 3. | March 30 (Monday) | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati | 07:30 pm |
| 4. | March 31 (Tuesday) | Punjab Kings | Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur | 07:30 pm |
| 5. | April 01 (Wednesday) | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow | 07:30 pm |
| 6. | April 02 (Thursday) | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata | 07:30 pm |
| 7. | April 03 (Friday) | Chennai Super Kings | Punjab Kings | Chennai | 07:30 pm |
| 8. | April 04 (Saturday) | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi | 03:30 pm |
| 9. | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad | 07:30 pm | |
| 10. | April 05 (Sunday) | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad | 03:30 pm |
| 11. | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru | 07:30 pm | |
| 12. | April 06 (Monday) | Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Kings | Kolkata | 07:30 pm |
| 13. | April 07 (Tuesday) | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai Indians | Guwahati | 07:30 pm |
| 14. | April 08 (Wednesday) | Delhi Capitals | Gujarat Titans | Delhi | 07:30 pm |
| 15. | April 09 (Thursday) | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata | 07:30 pm |
| 16. | April 10 (Friday) | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati | 07:30 pm |
| 17. | April 11 (Saturday) | Punjab Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur | 03:30 pm |
| 18. | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai | 07:30 pm | |
| 19. | April 12 (Sunday) | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow | 03:30 pm |
| 20. | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai | 07:30 pm | |
Number of Double-Header Contests in IPL 2026 Phase 1
Out of 20 matches, four double-header contests are scheduled in the first phase of IPL 2026, with the afternoon matches starting at 03.30 pm and the evening games at 07 pm (IST).
The following is the schedule of the double-header contests in Phase 1 of IPL season 19:
- 04th April:
- DC vs MI at Arun Jaitley Stadium (03:30 pm IST).
- GT vs RR at Narendra Modi Stadium (07:30 pm IST).
- 05th April:
- SRH vs LSG at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (03:30 pm IST).
- RCB vs CSK at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium (07:30 pm IST).
- 11th April:
- PBKS vs SRH at PCA Stadium (03:30 pm IST).
- CSK vs DC at MA Chidambaram Stadium (07:30 pm IST).
- 12th April:
- LSG vs GT at Ekana Stadium (03:30 pm IST)
- MI vs RCB at Wankhede Stadium (07:30 pm IST)
Is M.Chinnaswamy Stadium Ready to Host IPL 2026 Matches?
So far, the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium has yet to receive clearance from the Government of Karnataka’s Expert Committee.
The inspection of the stadium will be conducted by the committee on Friday (March 13, 2026) to assess the stadium’s readiness to host IPL 2026 matches. It includes a complete evaluation of these factors, such as:
- Large Crowd Management
- Safety Protocols
- Facility Checks
IPL 2026 Phase 1 Home Matches For All Teams
Here is how all teams are allocated their Phase 1 home games for IPL 2026:
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): 3 Matches (vs SRH, PBKS, and LSG).
- Rajasthan Royals (RR): 3 Matches (vs CSK, MI, and RCB).
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK): 2 Matches (vs PBK and DC).
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): 2 Matches (vs SRH and CSK).
- Mumbai Indians (MI): 2 Matches (vs KKR and RCB).
- Punjab Kings (PBKS): 2 Matches (vs GT and SRH).
- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): 2 Matches (vs DC and GT).
- Delhi Capitals (DC): 2 Matches (vs MI and GT).
- Gujarat Titans (GT): 1 Match (vs RR).
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): 1 Match (vs LSG).