Confirmed window
28 Mar – 12 Apr
The first phase covers the opening two-plus weeks of the season.
IPL 2026 schedule: official first-phase fixtures
28 March to 12 April 2026 · 20 confirmed matches · 10 venues · All times in IST
The BCCI has officially announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule. The confirmed list covers the opening 20 matches, including four double-headers, while the remaining fixtures are still pending a later official release.
Official update: first-phase IPL 2026 fixtures are live
The opening phase is now confirmed from 28 March to 12 April 2026. That gives fans a clean, official fixture list to work with right now, while the rest of the season is expected to be released later by the BCCI once the remaining scheduling constraints are cleared.
Matches announced
20 matches
The official release currently covers Match 1 through Match 20.
Double-headers
4 days
Afternoon games start at 3:30 PM IST and evening games at 7:30 PM IST.
Venues in phase 1
10 cities
Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow and more.
What is official right now
The current official release is a first-phase fixture list. It confirms the opening match, the first four double-header dates, the exact venues for each of the first 20 games, and the standard start times used in this phase. The rest of the tournament is still awaiting a later official announcement.
- Opening match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.
- Second match: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai.
- Rajasthan Royals early home games: scheduled in Guwahati during this phase.
- Punjab Kings early home games: scheduled in New Chandigarh during this phase.
Bengaluru
Mumbai
Guwahati
New Chandigarh
Lucknow
Kolkata
Chennai
Delhi
Ahmedabad
Hyderabad
IPL 2026 fixtures released so far
Below is the official first-phase match list published by IPL/BCCI. I kept it simple and readable on mobile, so the table collapses into stacked match cards on smaller screens instead of forcing a side-scroll.
| Match | Date | Day | Time | Home | Away | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar 2026 | Sat | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29 Mar 2026 | Sun | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai |
| 3 | 30 Mar 2026 | Mon | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati |
| 4 | 31 Mar 2026 | Tue | 7:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings | Gujarat Titans | New Chandigarh |
| 5 | 01 Apr 2026 | Wed | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants | Delhi Capitals | Lucknow |
| 6 | 02 Apr 2026 | Thu | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata |
| 7 | 03 Apr 2026 | Fri | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings | Punjab Kings | Chennai |
| 8 | 04 Apr 2026 | Sat | 3:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals | Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| 9 | 04 Apr 2026 | Sat | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 05 Apr 2026 | Sun | 3:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 05 Apr 2026 | Sun | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru |
| 12 | 06 Apr 2026 | Mon | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders | Punjab Kings | Kolkata |
| 13 | 07 Apr 2026 | Tue | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals | Mumbai Indians | Guwahati |
| 14 | 08 Apr 2026 | Wed | 7:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals | Gujarat Titans | Delhi |
| 15 | 09 Apr 2026 | Thu | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders | Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata |
| 16 | 10 Apr 2026 | Fri | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati |
| 17 | 11 Apr 2026 | Sat | 3:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | New Chandigarh |
| 18 | 11 Apr 2026 | Sat | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Capitals | Chennai |
| 19 | 12 Apr 2026 | Sun | 3:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants | Gujarat Titans | Lucknow |
| 20 | 12 Apr 2026 | Sun | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai |
Important: this is the official first-phase release, not the full tournament grid. The schedule PDF also notes that fixtures may still change if required by the BCCI.
IPL 2026 schedule FAQ
Has the full IPL 2026 schedule been released?
No. What is official right now is the first-phase schedule, covering matches from 28 March to 12 April 2026. The remaining fixtures are expected later through an additional official release.
When does IPL 2026 start and who plays the opener?
IPL 2026 starts on 28 March 2026. The season opener is Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
How many matches and venues are confirmed in phase 1?
The first official release confirms 20 matches across 10 venues. It also includes four double-headers, with afternoon matches at 3:30 PM IST and evening matches at 7:30 PM IST.
Are Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings using alternate early home venues?
Yes. In this opening phase, Rajasthan Royals begin with home fixtures in Guwahati, while Punjab Kings play their early home matches in New Chandigarh.
Can this schedule still change?
Yes. The official schedule PDF states that the fixtures may still be subject to change if required at the sole discretion of the BCCI, so it is always smart to re-check official links before matchday travel plans.
Where should I verify future schedule updates?
The safest sources are the official IPL fixtures page, the official schedule PDF, and announcements published by the BCCI. Those are the links I placed directly on this page.
