IPL 2026 to kick off from March 26, full schedule to be announced soon!

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 26, with the final set to be played on Sunday, May 31. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to officially announce the complete schedule, media reports suggest that IPL CEO Hemang Amin confirmed the Season 19 dates during a pre-auction briefing with franchise representatives.

IPL 2026 will take place nearly three weeks after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over the venue for the opening match. Traditionally, the tournament opener is hosted at the home ground of the defending champions, but the availability of Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium remains unclear. This issue reportedly emerged as a key point of discussion during the pre-auction meeting held at a hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional permission to host IPL matches, with the state government maintaining a cautious approach. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar recently stated that Home Minister G. Parameshwara would hold discussions with KSCA officials before a final decision is taken. The uncertainty stems from a tragic stampede during RCB’s victory celebrations on June 4, in which 11 fans lost their lives. Following the incident, the state government adopted a stricter stance on hosting large-scale events at the stadium, leading to the relocation of some Women’s World Cup matches from Bengaluru.