Indian Premier League fixtures 2026: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru play in first match against Sunrisers Hyderabad

The opening two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) schedule have been announced, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in the opening match.

The first set of matches will be played from March 28 to April 12, with the full schedule of the tournament set to be announced in due course.

This is due to the fact that "three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period" and so there is a wait to see when poll dates are announced.

Following the incident at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium after RCB's win in 2025 - a mass gathering being held to celebrate RCB's first Indian Premier League title win during which there were 11 deaths and dozens of injuries - matches at the arena are "subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka".

An inspection of the stadium will take place on March 13 and a "full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium's preparedness for hosting IPL matches".

After the opening encounter on Saturday March 28, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on the Sunday.

During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, the first of which takes place on April 4 when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians 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.

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