The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most popular T20 cricket league in the world. Every season attracts millions of viewers thanks to thrilling matches, star players, and intense competition.
As the new season approaches, one of the most searched questions among cricket fans is “When will IPL 2026 start?”
In this article, you will find the IPL 2026 start date, schedule details, teams, venues, and the latest updates about the upcoming tournament.
IPL 2026 Start Date
The TATA IPL 2026 will officially begin on 28 March 2026. The tournament will run for more than two months and will conclude with the final match on 31 May 2026.
Key Dates
- Start Date: 28 March 2026
- Final Date: 31 May 2026
Like previous seasons, the tournament will include league matches followed by the playoffs and the grand final.
IPL 2026 Overview
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | TATA IPL 2026 |
| Edition | 19th |
| Organizer | BCCI |
| Format | T20 |
| Start Date | 28 March 2026 |
| Final Date | 31 May 2026 |
| Total Teams | 10 |
| Total Matches | Around 74 |
| Official Website | https://www.iplt20.com |
IPL 2026 Teams List
A total of 10 teams will participate in IPL 2026.
| Team | Captain |
|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | Hardik Pandya |
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Rajat Patidar |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Ajinkya Rahane |
| Delhi Capitals | Axar Patel |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Pat Cummins |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sanju Samson |
| Punjab Kings | Shreyas Iyer |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Rishabh Pant |
| Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill |
IPL 2026 Venues
Matches in IPL 2026 are expected to be held at major cricket stadiums across India.
Possible venues:
- Mumbai
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Kolkata
- Bengaluru
- Ahmedabad
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Lucknow
- Mohali
IPL 2026 Format
The tournament will include a league stage followed by playoffs.
Playoff Structure
- Qualifier 1 – Top two teams
- Eliminator – 3rd vs 4th teams
- Qualifier 2 – Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Eliminator winner
- Final – Qualifier 1 winner vs Qualifier 2 winner
IPL 2026 Schedule (Expected)
The IPL 2026 season will feature 74 matches, including 70 league matches and 4 playoff matches. Weekend games are expected to include double headers, with afternoon matches at 3:30 PM IST and evening matches at 7:30 PM IST.
- Start: 28 March 2026
- Final: 31 May 2026
- Double headers: Saturday & Sunday
- Total: 70 League Matches + 4 Playoffs = 74
| Match | Date | Day | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar | Sat | CSK vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 2 | 29 Mar | Sun | RCB vs KKR | 3:30 PM |
| 3 | 29 Mar | Sun | DC vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| 4 | 30 Mar | Mon | SRH vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 5 | 31 Mar | Tue | GT vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 6 | 1 Apr | Wed | MI vs RCB | 7:30 PM |
| 7 | 2 Apr | Thu | RR vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 8 | 3 Apr | Fri | DC vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 9 | 4 Apr | Sat | CSK vs GT | 3:30 PM |
| 10 | 4 Apr | Sat | PBKS vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 11 | 5 Apr | Sun | MI vs RR | 3:30 PM |
| 12 | 5 Apr | Sun | RCB vs DC | 7:30 PM |
| 13 | 6 Apr | Mon | SRH vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 14 | 7 Apr | Tue | GT vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 15 | 8 Apr | Wed | LSG vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 16 | 9 Apr | Thu | RR vs RCB | 7:30 PM |
| 17 | 10 Apr | Fri | MI vs DC | 7:30 PM |
| 18 | 11 Apr | Sat | KKR vs PBKS | 3:30 PM |
| 19 | 11 Apr | Sat | SRH vs GT | 7:30 PM |
| 20 | 12 Apr | Sun | LSG vs MI | 3:30 PM |
| 21 | 12 Apr | Sun | CSK vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| 22 | 13 Apr | Mon | DC vs GT | 7:30 PM |
| 23 | 14 Apr | Tue | RCB vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 24 | 15 Apr | Wed | KKR vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 25 | 16 Apr | Thu | SRH vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 26 | 17 Apr | Fri | RR vs GT | 7:30 PM |
| 27 | 18 Apr | Sat | CSK vs DC | 3:30 PM |
| 28 | 18 Apr | Sat | RCB vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 29 | 19 Apr | Sun | PBKS vs MI | 3:30 PM |
| 30 | 19 Apr | Sun | LSG vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| 31 | 20 Apr | Mon | GT vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 32 | 21 Apr | Tue | DC vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 33 | 22 Apr | Wed | SRH vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 34 | 23 Apr | Thu | RCB vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 35 | 24 Apr | Fri | RR vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 36 | 25 Apr | Sat | KKR vs DC | 3:30 PM |
| 37 | 25 Apr | Sat | GT vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 38 | 26 Apr | Sun | LSG vs RCB | 3:30 PM |
| 39 | 26 Apr | Sun | MI vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 40 | 27 Apr | Mon | RR vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 41 | 28 Apr | Tue | PBKS vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 42 | 29 Apr | Wed | DC vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 43 | 30 Apr | Thu | GT vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 44 | 1 May | Fri | CSK vs RCB | 7:30 PM |
| 45 | 2 May | Sat | SRH vs DC | 3:30 PM |
| 46 | 2 May | Sat | RR vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 47 | 3 May | Sun | PBKS vs GT | 3:30 PM |
| 48 | 3 May | Sun | LSG vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 49 | 4 May | Mon | KKR vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 50 | 5 May | Tue | DC vs MI | 7:30 PM |
| 51 | 6 May | Wed | RCB vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| 52 | 7 May | Thu | GT vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 53 | 8 May | Fri | PBKS vs RCB | 7:30 PM |
| 54 | 9 May | Sat | SRH vs LSG | 3:30 PM |
| 55 | 9 May | Sat | MI vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 56 | 10 May | Sun | RR vs DC | 3:30 PM |
| 57 | 10 May | Sun | CSK vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 58 | 11 May | Mon | GT vs RCB | 7:30 PM |
| 59 | 12 May | Tue | LSG vs KKR | 7:30 PM |
| 60 | 13 May | Wed | SRH vs RR | 7:30 PM |
| 61 | 14 May | Thu | MI vs GT | 7:30 PM |
| 62 | 15 May | Fri | DC vs CSK | 7:30 PM |
| 63 | 16 May | Sat | PBKS vs SRH | 3:30 PM |
| 64 | 16 May | Sat | RCB vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 65 | 17 May | Sun | KKR vs RR | 3:30 PM |
| 66 | 17 May | Sun | MI vs PBKS | 7:30 PM |
| 67 | 18 May | Mon | GT vs DC | 7:30 PM |
| 68 | 19 May | Tue | CSK vs SRH | 7:30 PM |
| 69 | 20 May | Wed | RR vs LSG | 7:30 PM |
| 70 | 21 May | Thu | KKR vs MI | 7:30 PM |
IPL 2026 Playoffs
| Match | Date | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | 26 May | Qualifier 1 |
| 72 | 27 May | Eliminator |
| 73 | 29 May | Qualifier 2 |
| 74 | 31 May | Final |
IPL 2026 FAQs
When does the IPL 2026 schedule start?
The IPL 2026 is scheduled to start on 28 March 2026. The tournament will begin with league stage matches, followed by the playoffs and the final.
What year did IPL start?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) started in 2008.
The inaugural season was held in India, where the Rajasthan Royals won the first IPL title. Since then, IPL has become the most popular T20 cricket league in the world.When did IPL 2026 start?
The IPL 2026 will begin on 28 March 2026. The season will feature matches played across several major stadiums in India and will include 70 league matches followed by playoffs.
When is the final of IPL 2026?
The final of IPL 2026 will be played on 31 May 2026. The championship match will conclude the tournament after more than two months of league and playoff action.
How many matches will be played in IPL 2026?
IPL 2026 will feature 74 matches, including 70 league matches and 4 playoff games.
