I know everyone is waiting IPL 2026 which will start on March 28, 2026 from M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru so take the long breath and prepare for the Opening match. The 2026 season will feature all 10 franchises (RCB, CSK, DC, GT, KKR, LSG, MI, PBKS, RR, SRH) as before, and it promises an even more competitive title race. The defending champion is Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who lifted their first IPL trophy in 2025. The match schedule spans late March to May, with each team playing 16 round-robin games (80 league matches) before playoffs. Below is a summary of the opening fixtures and venues for the first phase, followed by key auction news and team analyses.
| Date | Match | Venue (City) |
| Mar 28, 2026 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy (Bengaluru) |
| Mar 29, 2026 | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede (Mumbai) |
| Mar 30, 2026 | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Barsapara (Guwahati) |
| Mar 31, 2026 | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | New Chandigarh (Mohali) |
| Apr 1, 2026 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana (Lucknow) |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens (Kolkata) |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | MA Chidambaram (Chennai) |
| Apr 4, 2026 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley (Delhi) |
| Apr 5, 2026 | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi (Ahmedabad) |
| Apr 6, 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi (Hyderabad) |
| Apr 7, 2026 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy (Bengaluru) |
| Apr 8, 2026 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens (Kolkata) |
| Apr 9, 2026 | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Barsapara (Guwahati) |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley (Delhi) |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens (Kolkata) |
| Apr 12, 2026 | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Barsapara (Guwahati) |
The venues cover India’s major cricket centers. Night-time temperatures in late March – April range roughly 25 – 35°C (warmer in the north). Grounds like Bengaluru and Ahmedabad are known for batting-friendly pitches, while Chennai tends to aid spinners. The first phase locations (Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad) will see high-scoring games under mostly dry, warm conditions.
IPL 2026 Auction Highlights
The IPL 2026 mini-auction was held on December 16, 2025 in Abu Dhabi. The biggest buy was Australia all-rounder Cameron Green, who was snapped up by KKR for a record ₹25.20 crore. KKR also spent ₹18.00 cr on pacer Matheesha Pathirana. Chennai Super Kings broke the bank for uncapped Indian talent, paying ₹14.20 cr each for Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. Other top signings included Liam Livingstone (SRH, ₹13.00 cr) and Mustafizur Rahman (KKR, ₹9.20 cr). In total, the 10 teams spent ₹215.45 cr on 77 players. (For full auction list and prices see the official IPL auction report.)
Teams and Squads
Ten teams are competing in IPL 2026, each with squads of up to 25 players (including up to 8 overseas). Notable line-ups include:
