TATA IPL 2026 — the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League — begins on March 28, 2026. And if the opening fixture is any indication of what’s coming, this season is already setting up to be something special. The defending champions step onto their home ground. Their opponents are one of the most explosive batting sides in the tournament. And the entire country, from Chennai to Chandigarh, is already picking sides.
Here’s your complete, no-fuss guide to everything confirmed about IPL 2026 — the first match, all 10 teams, the venues, the schedule so far, and what makes this season different from everyone before it.
The First Match — Date, Teams, Venue, and Timing
The 19th edition of the biggest T20 league on the globe will commence when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Everything you need to know about Match 1:
- Date: March 28, 2026 — this Saturday
- Match: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Time: 7:30 PM IST
- Significance: RCB’s home opener as defending champions — their maiden IPL title came in 2025 when they defeated Punjab Kings in the final
The Chinnaswamy atmosphere for a season opener with RCB defending their first-ever title is going to be something else entirely. Rajat Patidar leads RCB into the new season, and the city of Bengaluru hasn’t stopped celebrating since last May.
The Big Picture — Why IPL 2026 Is Bigger Than Any Previous Season
This isn’t just another IPL. Several things make the 2026 edition structurally different from anything that came before:
- The tournament will feature 10 teams competing in 84 matches from March 28 to May 31, 2026 — 10 more matches than last season
- With a total duration of 78 days, the league promises non-stop action with matches scheduled in two time slots — 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST
- The return of the full double round-robin format means every team plays every other team twice — which cricket fans have been waiting years for
- The BCCI has only released the first 20 matches of the schedule due to upcoming state assembly elections — the remaining fixtures will be announced once poll dates are confirmed
- The tournament will be played across 10 different venues in the first phase alone
- Bengaluru will host both the opening ceremony and the final, as the defending champions
All 10 Teams in IPL 2026 — With Captains
The same 10 franchises from the previous season return. No new team, no expansion — just the ten sides that have made this league what it is, now with fresh auctions, new captains, and reshuffled squads. Here’s the complete team list:
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) — Captain: Rajat Patidar (defending champions, maiden title in 2025)
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK) — Five-time champions, always dangerous
- Mumbai Indians (MI) — Record five-time champions, hunting their sixth
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) — Three-time champions
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) — Two-time champions, opening opponents of RCB
- Rajasthan Royals (RR) — Captain: Riyan Parag (who takes over from Sanju Samson after a remarkable pre-season trade)
- Punjab Kings (PBKS) — Captain: Shreyas Iyer (runners-up in IPL 2025, hungry for the title)
- Gujarat Titans (GT) — Two-time champions looking to bounce back
- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) — Still chasing their first title
- Delhi Capitals (DC) — One of the original franchises, yet to win
One of the most fascinating pre-season storylines: a pre-season trade saw Ravindra Jadeja join Rajasthan Royals from CSK, with Sanju Samson moving the other way to Chennai. Watching Jadeja in pink and Samson in yellow will take some adjusting for loyal fans of both teams.
The Complete First Phase Schedule — All 20 Confirmed Matches
The BCCI has announced the schedule for the first phase of TATA IPL 2026, covering March 28 to April 12, 2026, with 20 matches across 10 venues. Here’s every confirmed fixture:
March 28 — RCB vs SRH | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM
March 29 — MI vs KKR | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM
March 30 — RR vs CSK | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM
March 31 — PBKS vs GT | PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh | 3:30 PM — LSG vs DC | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM
April 1 — KKR vs SRH | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM
April 2 — CSK vs RCB | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM
April 3 — MI vs PBKS | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM
April 4 — DC vs MI | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 3:30 PM (first double-header afternoon match) — GT vs RR | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM
April 5 — RCB vs CSK | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM
April 6 — SRH vs LSG | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:30 PM
April 7 — KKR vs PBKS | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM
April 8 — RR vs MI | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM
April 9 — DC vs GT | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:30 PM
April 10 — KKR vs LSG | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM
April 11 — RR vs RCB | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 3:30 PM — PBKS vs SRH | PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh | 7:30 PM
April 12 — CSK vs DC | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 3:30 PM — LSG vs GT | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM
(Remaining matches to be announced after state election schedules are confirmed)
All 10 Venues in the First Phase
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues during the first phase: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
Here’s every stadium:
- M. Chinnaswamy Stadium — Bengaluru (RCB home)
- Wankhede Stadium — Mumbai (MI home)
- Eden Gardens — Kolkata (KKR home)
- Narendra Modi Stadium — Ahmedabad (GT home)
- MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) — Chennai (CSK home)
- Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium — Hyderabad (SRH home)
- Arun Jaitley Stadium — Delhi (DC home)
- BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium — Lucknow (LSG home)
- PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh — Punjab Kings home
- Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati — Rajasthan Royals temporary home base
Unique venue arrangements this season:
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium
- Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala
- Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur
Match Timing — When to Tune In
Knowing when matches start means you can plan your evenings around cricket rather than missing the first three overs because you were stuck in traffic or hadn’t checked the schedule:
- Evening matches (weekdays and weekends): Start at 7:30 PM IST — toss typically at 7:00 PM
- Afternoon matches (double-header days): Start at 3:30 PM IST — toss typically at 3:00 PM
- The first phase features four double-header days — perfect for weekend cricket binges
- The first double-header of the season is on April 4 — Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians in the afternoon, followed by Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals in the evening
Where to Watch IPL 2026 — TV and Online
Star Sports Network will be the official broadcaster for TATA IPL 2026 in India, with matches telecast live across the Star Sports channels in multiple languages. For digital viewing:
- JioHotstar — Official OTT platform with live streaming, highlights, and multi-cam options
- Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD — English commentary
- Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD — Hindi commentary
- Regional language feeds also available across Star Sports channels
The Format — How the Tournament Works
For newer cricket fans or those who haven’t followed IPL closely, here’s how the competition structure works in 2026:
- League phase: All 10 teams play a full double round-robin — every team faces every other team twice, home and away
- Total league matches: 70 matches
- Points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point each for a no-result or tie, 0 for a loss
- Net Run Rate (NRR) separates teams level on points — so every run and over matters even in comfortable wins
- Playoff qualification: Top 4 teams on the points table at the end of the league phase advance
- Playoff format:
- Qualifier 1: 1st vs 2nd — winner goes straight to the final
- Eliminator: 3rd vs 4th — loser goes home
- Qualifier 2: Loser of Q1 vs Winner of Eliminator — winner reaches the final
- Final: May 31, 2026 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Total matches this season: 84
Key Storylines to Watch in IPL 2026
Beyond the schedule and venues, the real reason 500 million people watch this tournament is the drama — and 2026 has several compelling storylines already building:
- Can RCB defend their maiden title? Rajat Patidar’s team is only the third side in IPL history to enter a season as defending champions after winning their first-ever title. The pressure and the expectation are unlike anything Bengaluru has experienced before
- The Jadeja-Samson swap — Ravindra Jadeja at RR and Sanju Samson at CSK changes the identity of both franchises in profound ways. Jadeja brings all-round depth and fielding brilliance to Jaipur. Samson brings explosive batting and leadership hunger to Chennai
- Mumbai Indians’ sixth title quest — MI have five titles. The gap between them and everyone else is significant. But they haven’t won since 2020 and the hunger is visible in how seriously they’ve approached the 2026 auction and retention
- Shreyas Iyer and Punjab Kings — As runners-up in 2025, PBKS enter 2026 as genuine contenders rather than plucky underdogs for the first time in years. Iyer’s captaincy and the squad he’s built could go all the way
- KKR’s title defence — KKR won back-to-back titles in 2024 and were strong again in 2025. Three in a row would be historic
Quick Reference — IPL 2026 at a Glance
- Tournament: TATA IPL 2026 (19th Edition)
- Start date: March 28, 2026
- End date: May 31, 2026
- Duration: 78 days
- Total matches: 84
- Teams: 10 (all same as IPL 2025)
- First match: RCB vs SRH, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 7:30 PM IST
- Defending champions: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
- Title sponsor: Tata Group (contract runs 2024–2028)
- Broadcaster: Star Sports (TV) + JioHotstar (Digital)
- First phase schedule: March 28 to April 12 (20 matches confirmed)
- Second phase: To be announced after state election schedule confirmation
- Final venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Format: Full double round-robin league + 4 playoff matches
