IPL 2026 schedule: Defending champions RCB face SRH in opening match

The new season of the Indian Premier League will begin with a blockbuster clash as defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match of IPL 2026.

The tournament opener is scheduled for March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The venue recently received clearance from the Government of Karnataka to host IPL games after uncertainty surrounding last year’s tragic stampede during RCB’s title celebrations that claimed 11 lives.

The second match of the opening weekend will see Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the historic Wankhede Stadium. Unlike previous seasons, the opening weekend will feature no double-header matches.

The IPL governing body has decided to release the 2026 schedule in phases because several states, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam, are set to hold elections. These states host franchises such as Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

The first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, announced on Wednesday, includes 20 matches. It will feature four double-headers during the weekends of April 4–5 and April 11–12. During this phase, all 10 teams will play four matches each, though the exact grouping of teams has not yet been confirmed.

In recent IPL seasons featuring 10 teams, franchises have been divided into two virtual groups. Each team typically faces sides from its own group twice and teams from the opposite group once during the league stage.

Interestingly, this will be only the second time that Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad meet in the first match of an IPL season. The previous instance came in 2017, when Hyderabad entered the tournament as defending champions while Bengaluru were the runners-up.

For Hyderabad, the IPL 2026 opener will mark their second appearance in a season-opening match, whereas Bengaluru will be featuring in an IPL opener for the seventh time.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals will conclude the Guwahati leg of their campaign during the first phase, playing three matches at Barsapara Cricket Stadium. The team’s remaining home fixtures will take place at their primary venue, Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Since the IPL began in 2008, the league has occasionally announced its schedule in multiple phases whenever elections are held in India. Similar situations occurred during national election years such as 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024, when logistics and security arrangements required the fixtures to be released in stages.