Dates Confirmed for First 20 Matches of Indian Premier League 2026

The wait for the IPL 2026 seems to be a long one for the cricket fans. While it was confirmed that the tournament will commence on 28 March, the schedule of the same was not announced. And now, the IPL schedule for the first 20 games has officially been released.

The tournament will open with the defending champions, RCB, going against Sunrisers Hyderabad. And this match will take place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, as IPL action returns to this venue. Along with that, this venue will host an El Clásico match early in the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings will face each other on 5 April. While the schedule of the first 20 games has been released, the remaining matches are expected to be announced soon within the next few weeks. Mumbai Indians will have their first match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The schedule has only been released for the first 20 games due to the assembly elections. West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu have their elections scheduled, as the remaining games will be announced as the season progresses.

Our Take

Even though the schedule for the first 20 games is announced, each match feels exciting. Whether it is the tournament opener between RCB and SRH or the clash between RR and CSK, each game will keep us glued to our seats. Moreover, it will be an emotional moment for the fans also when they watch Jadeja going against Dhoni.

This will be much like the moment that took place between Virat Kohli and Mohammed Siraj last season. Still, the IPL 2026 will also mark the return of three legends, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma, to the shortest format of the game. These are the only few months of the year when fans could watch them play against each other.