New Delhi: Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium is set to host matches in the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League season, but there is an important condition attached.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the first phase of IPL 2026, which will run from March 28 to April 12.
The 19th edition of the tournament will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
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However, matches scheduled at this famous venue are subject to approval by a government-appointed expert committee.“As three states are scheduled to undergo state assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the polling dates are announced,” the BCCI said in a statement.
A total of 20 matches will be played in 10 venues in the first phase – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.BCCI also clarified that the matches in Bengaluru will depend on the final safety clearance from the authorities.“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to the approval of the expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government.
“The committee will hold a meeting and inspection of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a large-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be conducted to assess the readiness of the stadium to host Indian Premier League matches,” the BCCI said.During the first phase, the tournament will feature four doubleheaders, with the afternoon matches starting at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches at 07:30 PM IST.
IPL 2026: Schedule
| match | date | day | time | place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB vs SRH | 28-Mar-26 | He sat down | evening | Bengaluru |
| MI vs KKR | 29-Mar-26 | sun | evening | Mumbai |
| RR vs CSK | 30 Mar 26 | Monday | evening | Guwahati |
| PBKS vs GT | 31 Mar 26 | Tuesday | evening | Mullanpur |
| LSG vs DC | 1-Apr-26 | He got married | evening | Lucknow |
| KKR vs SRH | April 2-26 | Thursday | evening | Kolkata |
| CSK vs PBKS | 3-Apr-26 | Friday | evening | Chennai |
| DC vs. MI | 4-Apr-26 | He sat down | afternoon | Delhi |
| GT vs RR | 4-Apr-26 | He sat down | evening | Ahmedabad |
| SRH vs LSG | 5-Apr-26 | sun | afternoon | Hyderabad |
| RCB vs CSK | 5-Apr-26 | sun | evening | Bengaluru |
| KKR vs PBKS | 6-Apr-26 | Monday | evening | Kolkata |
| RR vs MI | 7-Apr-26 | Tuesday | evening | Guwahati |
| DC vs GT | 8-Apr-26 | He got married | evening | Delhi |
| KKR vs LSG | 9-Apr-26 | Thursday | evening | Kolkata |
| RR vs RCB | 10-Apr-26 | Friday | evening | Guwahati |
| PBKS vs SRH | 11-Apr-26 | He sat down | afternoon | Mullanpur |
| CSK vs DC | 11-Apr-26 | He sat down | evening | Chennai |
| LSG vs GT | 12-Apr-26 | sun | afternoon | Lucknow |
| MI vs RCB | 12-Apr-26 | sun | evening | Mumbai |
The first two matches of the season are scheduled to be played on April 4, when Delhi Capitals take on Mumbai Indians in the afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Rajasthan Royals will start their campaign at home in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their early home matches at PCA Stadium.As per the current plan, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamsala, while Rajasthan Royals will split their home matches between Guwahati and Jaipur.However, the final confirmation of the Bengaluru matches will depend on the outcome of inspection and approval by the expert committee of the Karnataka government.