BIG NEWS: IPL 2026 opening phase schedule out: All teams’ fixtures, venues, and double-header dates revealed

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has announced the tournament's schedule for the 19th edition of the tournament, where defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the opening clash of the cash-rich league.

CSK, MI, PBKS opener clashes

Chennai Super Kings will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, giving fans an exciting early clash between two of the league’s most popular teams.

The fixtures for the first 20 matches have already been released, with the rest of the schedule expected to follow soon. The opening phase promises some thrilling encounters as teams aim to gain early momentum on their path to the playoffs.

Punjab Kings, who finished as runners-up last season, will start their season against Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur. Lucknow Super Giants will host Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on April 1. Other key early matchups include Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Chennai Super Kings in Bengaluru on April 5, and Mumbai Indians facing RCB in Mumbai on April 12.

IPL 2026 schedule

1	28/03/26	Sat	Evening	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Bengaluru
2	29/03/26	Sun	Evening	Mumbai Indians	Kolkata Knight Riders	Mumbai
3	30/03/26	Mon	Evening	Rajasthan Royals	Chennai Super Kings	Guwahati
4	31/03/26	Tue	Evening	Punjab Kings	Gujarat Titans	Mullanpur
5	01/04/26	Wed	Evening	Lucknow Super Giants	Delhi Capitals	Lucknow
6	02/04/26	Thu	Evening	Kolkata Knight Riders	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Kolkata
7	03/04/26	Fri	Evening	Chennai Super Kings	Punjab Kings	Chennai
8	04/04/26	Sat	Afternoon	Delhi Capitals	Mumbai Indians	Delhi
9	04/04/26	Sat	Evening	Gujarat Titans	Rajasthan Royals	Ahmedabad
10	05/04/26	Sun	Afternoon	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Lucknow Super Giants	Hyderabad
11	05/04/26	Sun	Evening	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Chennai Super Kings	Bengaluru
12	06/04/26	Mon	Evening	Kolkata Knight Riders	Punjab Kings	Kolkata
13	07/04/26	Tue	Evening	Rajasthan Royals	Mumbai Indians	Guwahati
14	08/04/26	Wed	Evening	Delhi Capitals	Gujarat Titans	Delhi
15	09/04/26	Thu	Evening	Kolkata Knight Riders	Lucknow Super Giants	Kolkata
16	10/04/26	Fri	Evening	Rajasthan Royals	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Guwahati
17	11/04/26	Sat	Afternoon	Punjab Kings	Sunrisers Hyderabad	Mullanpur
18	11/04/26	Sat	Evening	Chennai Super Kings	Delhi Capitals	Chennai
19	12/04/26	Sun	Afternoon	Lucknow Super Giants	Gujarat Titans	Lucknow
20	12/04/26	Sun	Evening	Mumbai Indians	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	Mumbai

IPL 2026 will also feature double-header days on April 4, 5, 11, and 12, giving fans the chance to enjoy two matches in a single day. During the opening phase, teams will travel to cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kolkata, Lucknow, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Mullanpur.