IPL 2026 Schedule: Tournament to be played in two phases, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia provides big update

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will start on March 28, with the first part of the tournament schedule expected within the next two to three days, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The board plans to release the opening 20 days of fixtures first while keeping in mind the upcoming assembly elections in several states.

The announcement about the league’s start date was made by broadcaster Star Sports on Sunday ahead of the India vs New Zealand ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

First phase of IPL schedule expected soon

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the tournament calendar will come out in stages because elections are due in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.


Speaking to ANI, Saikia said, "We will announce the first 20-day schedule of IPL in 2 or 3 days after considering the election dates in a few states and will announce the rest of the tournament schedule later."

The board is working around the election timetable to ensure smooth movement of teams and security arrangements across venues.

RCB enter season as defending champions

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will begin the season as defending champions after winning the IPL 2025 title. The Bengaluru franchise defeated Punjab Kings by six runs in the final played in Ahmedabad last year.

The team will again host several matches at its traditional home ground this season.

Chinnaswamy Stadium to host final and playoffs

Earlier this month, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary Santosh Menon confirmed that the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru will stage five of RCB’s home matches in IPL 2026.

The stadium will also host the tournament final and one of the playoff games.

RCB’s remaining two home matches will take place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Return of cricket at Chinnaswamy after suspension

Cricket activities at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June last year. The suspension followed a stampede during RCB’s IPL 2025 title celebration outside the stadium that left 11 people dead and several others injured.

Since then, the venue missed out on hosting matches during the ICC Women’s World Cup and the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup. Domestic and state franchise tournaments were also affected during the suspension period.

With the IPL 2026 final now scheduled there, cricket will return to the Bengaluru venue after a long break.

(Source: ANI)