IPL 2026: dates, venues, key players and how to watch

The 2026 Indian Premier League, the competition's 18th edition, gets under way on Saturday, March 28 with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore facing Sunrisers Hyderabad. The start was moved back two days from March 26 to allow a slightly larger gap after the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup final on March 8.

This year’s schedule expands to 84 matches and will use a record 18 venues because of State Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam. Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the opening ceremony, five RCB home games, Qualifier 1 and the grand final on May 31.

Other venues named include Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Naya Raipur (a second home for RCB), Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Wankhede, MA Chidambaram, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Arun Jaitley, Eden Gardens, BRSABV Ekana Stadium, PCA New Stadium and Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

India

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