IPL 2026 dates confirmed: Tournament to run from March 26 to May 31

The Indian Premier League’s 2026 season is set to run from March 26 to May 31, continuing in the familiar late-March to end-May window used in recent editions.

Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India has not yet released the detailed match schedule, the 19th edition of the tournament is expected to begin around three weeks after the conclusion of the men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The league will span a little over two months.

As in the previous season, the IPL will overlap with the Pakistan Super League, which is scheduled from March 26 to May 3, leading to a direct clash between the two franchise tournaments for the second year in a row.

Preparations for the season are already underway, with franchises having finalised their lists of retained and released players in mid-November. Attention now turns to the IPL auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi, where 369 shortlisted players will be up for bidding.

There are 77 slots to be filled across the 10 teams, including 31 reserved for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders have the highest number of vacancies at 13, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad with 10. KKR also head into the auction with the largest remaining budget of Rs 64.30 crore, while Chennai Super Kings have the second-biggest purse at Rs 43.40 crore.

The previous IPL season concluded on June 3, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched their maiden title, edging past Punjab Kings by six runs in the final held in Ahmedabad.