The 19th season of the Indian Premier League kicks off on March 28, 2026, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The tournament runs through May 31 across 13 venues, promising the biggest IPL season yet — and arriving alongside one of the biggest years in global sport, including the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Here's everything you need to know — schedule, teams, auction records, and where to watch.
Key Tournament Details
Opening Match and Schedule
The BCCI released the Phase 1 schedule covering the first set of matches from March 28 to April 12. The remaining fixtures are expected within 48–72 hours, delayed by coordination with state assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.
Match timings:
- Day matches: 3:30 PM IST (10:00 AM UTC)
- Evening matches: 7:30 PM IST (2:00 PM UTC)
The opening match — RCB vs SRH — is an evening fixture at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium. Bengaluru also hosts the final on May 31, a fitting stage for the defending champions.
Confirmed Venues
| Venue | City | Home Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | RCB |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | MI |
| MA Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | CSK |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | DC |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | GT |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | KKR |
| BRSABV Ekana Stadium | Lucknow | LSG |
| Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Stadium | Hyderabad | SRH |
| Barsapara Stadium | Guwahati | RR (second home) |
| HPCA Stadium | Dharamshala | PBKS (alternate) |
| IS Bindra Stadium | New Chandigarh | PBKS |
| Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium | Raipur | RCB (alternate) |
All 10 Teams and Captains
- Captain: Rajat Patidar
- Won maiden title in 2025 after 18-year drought
- Host the opener AND the final
- Signed Cameron Green for record ₹25.20 crore
- Most aggressive at the Abu Dhabi mini-auction
- Looking to reclaim 2024 form
| Team | Captain | Key Signing |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Rajat Patidar | Defending champions |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | Hardik Pandya | Rebuilding after 2025 |
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Prashant Veer (₹14.20 cr) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Pat Cummins | Open the tournament vs RCB |
| Gujarat Titans (GT) | Shubman Gill | Third season as captain |
| Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | — | Cameron Green (₹25.20 cr) |
| Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Rishabh Pant | First season as LSG captain |
| Rajasthan Royals (RR) | — | Guwahati as second home |
| Punjab Kings (PBKS) | — | Split between Chandigarh and Dharamshala |
| Delhi Capitals (DC) | — | Still chasing first title |
Auction Records and Big Money Moves
The December 2025 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi set new benchmarks for player valuations.
KEY STAT: Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history at ₹25.20 crore ($3.0 million). For perspective on how sports valuations are reshaping media deals globally, see how World Cup 2026 streaming rights are being carved up. CSK broke records for uncapped players, signing both Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma at ₹14.20 crore each.
IPL 2026 Points Table
The points table will be updated once the tournament begins on March 28. Here's the starting format:
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | NR | Pts | NRR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | RCB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 2 | MI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 3 | CSK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 4 | SRH | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 5 | GT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 6 | KKR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 7 | LSG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 8 | RR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 9 | PBKS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 10 | DC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
Top 4 qualify for the playoffs. The format follows the standard two-point system — 2 points for a win, 1 for a no-result, 0 for a loss. Net Run Rate (NRR) breaks ties.
The Business of IPL 2026
The IPL remains the world's richest cricket league by a wide margin, though valuations have shifted after the JioStar media merger.
What's New This Season
- **Impact Player rule stays** — teams can substitute a player mid-match, effectively fielding 12 players across the game
- **Expanded schedule window** — two full months to accommodate all fixtures without back-to-back doubleheaders
- **Election coordination** — Phase 2 schedule pending Election Commission confirmation for three states
- **Future expansion** — BCCI Chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed the league is targeting **94 matches** by 2027–2028 for a full home-and-away double round-robin
Why This Season Matters
RCB enters as defending champions for the first time in franchise history, ending a drought that became one of cricket's most enduring narratives. Their 2025 title run electrified Indian cricket — Chinnaswamy Stadium will be a cauldron on March 28.
Meanwhile, the international cricket calendar faces mounting pressure. Both the ECB and Cricket Australia have voiced concerns about player fatigue — a tension also playing out in Six Nations rugby, where France clinched the title on Super Saturday as IPL preparations were underway as the IPL window expands, threatening established Test match windows.
If you're tracking live sport across multiple tournaments this spring, the March Madness 2026 Sweet 16 is running simultaneously with IPL's opening week.
The commercial dynamics have also shifted. The JioStar merger ended competitive bidding for IPL media rights, but ₹118 crore per match still makes each fixture more valuable than most global sporting events outside the NFL.
The Road to May 31
With five days until the first ball, here's what to watch:
- Full schedule release — expected within 48–72 hours once election dates are confirmed
- RCB's title defense — can Rajat Patidar lead back-to-back?
- Cameron Green's debut — will the record price translate to record performance at KKR?
- CSK's uncapped gamble — ₹28.40 crore on two uncapped players is either genius or reckless
- The 94-match future — this season sets the template for IPL's biggest-ever expansion
We'll update this guide with the full schedule, live points table, and match results as the season unfolds. Bookmark this page — it's your one-stop IPL 2026 hub.
