IPL 2026 opening match venues and travel analysis: five cities in five days, nine cities in 11 fixtures
The first five matches of IPL 2026 hit five different cities in five days, and the opening 11 fixtures already span nine cities. That makes the early season a travel-led run from the start, with fans and teams moving from Bengaluru to Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali and Lucknow before the schedule widens further.
For anyone planning the first fortnight, the main issue is logistics rather than timing alone. The confirmed fixtures create quick turnarounds, repeat venue visits and two same-day split-city double-header slots on Apr 4 and Apr 5.
Opening 20 fixtures schedule
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Jaipur |
| 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Mohali |
| 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Lucknow |
| 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Kolkata |
| 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Chennai |
| 8 | Sat Apr 4 | 3:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Delhi |
| 9 | Sat Apr 4 | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Sun Apr 5 | 3:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Mumbai |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Ahmedabad |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Chennai |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Lucknow |
| 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Mohali |
| 18 | Sat Apr 11 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Kolkata |
| 19 | Sun Apr 12 | 3:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Gujarat Titans | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Chennai |
| 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Delhi |
Opening route by city order
| Date Range | City | Match(es) | Travel Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28 | Bengaluru | 1 | The season opens here, and the next fixture is already in a different city. |
| Mar 29 | Mumbai | 2 | This is the first overnight move for followers tracking the opening run. |
| Mar 30 | Jaipur | 3 | A third straight day in a different city keeps travel planning active from the start. |
| Mar 31 | Mohali | 4 | Another city change means there is no early stretch of back-to-back home base continuity. |
| Apr 1 | Lucknow | 5 | The first five matches complete a five-city run in five days. |
| Apr 2 | Kolkata | 6 | The route shifts east, adding another flight or rail leg for travelling fans. |
| Apr 3 | Chennai | 7 | This is another next-day city switch, moving the schedule south. |
| Apr 4 | Delhi | 8 | The first half of the first same-day split-city double-header lands in Delhi. |
| Apr 4 | Ahmedabad | 9 | The evening fixture in Ahmedabad creates the first clear same-day city split. |
| Apr 5 | Hyderabad | 10 | The afternoon match starts the second double-header day and adds another city move. |
| Apr 5 | Bengaluru | 11 | The night fixture returns to Bengaluru, so the same day contains two different venues in two cities. |
| Apr 6 | Mumbai | 12 | Mumbai appears again quickly, giving the city a repeat slot within the first week. |
| Apr 7 | Jaipur | 13 | Jaipur also returns early, which matters for fans following repeated home dates. |
| Apr 8 | Ahmedabad | 14 | Ahmedabad gets a second early appearance just four days after its first. |
| Apr 9 | Chennai | 15 | Chennai stays active in the opening block with another home date. |
| Apr 10 | Lucknow | 16 | Lucknow reappears before the first 20 matches are complete, extending the north-central travel loop. |
| Apr 11 | Mohali | 17 | Mohali returns on the Saturday afternoon slot. |
| Apr 11 | Kolkata | 18 | The same day then shifts to Kolkata, creating another split-city travel day. |
| Apr 12 | Chennai | 19 | Chennai hosts again on Sunday afternoon, adding a third appearance in the opening 20. |
| Apr 12 | Delhi | 20 | Delhi closes the block with another same-day city change to end the first 20 fixtures. |
The opening block asks for constant movement. Across these 20 fixtures, repeat visits to Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Mohali, Kolkata and Delhi mean fans are not dealing with one settled run of matches, but with a sequence of return trips and short-turnaround city changes.
Venue cluster table
| Venue | Matches Hosted | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 2 | Mar 28, Apr 5 |
| Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 2 | Mar 29, Apr 6 |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 2 | Mar 30, Apr 7 |
| IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 2 | Mar 31, Apr 11 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 2 | Apr 1, Apr 10 |
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 2 | Apr 2, Apr 11 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 3 | Apr 3, Apr 9, Apr 12 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2 | Apr 4, Apr 12 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 2 | Apr 4, Apr 8 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 1 | Apr 5 |
What the first fortnight means for travel
The first clear pressure point is Apr 4, when Delhi hosts the afternoon match and Ahmedabad hosts the night match. That is the first same-day split-city double-header, and it sets the tone for the rest of the opening stretch.
The second comes on Apr 5, with Hyderabad in the afternoon and Bengaluru at night. For fans following more than one team, that means planning around two separate cities on the same day, not just two matches.
The repeat venue pattern also matters. Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Mohali, Kolkata and Delhi all return within the first 20 fixtures, so the early calendar is built around movement rather than long stays in one place.
Beyond the opening 20
The broader season continues with 50 matches from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India. The playoffs then run from May 26 to 31, 2026, across three different cities.
That means the opening stretch is only the first part of a much larger travel map. But even before the league stage settles into its longer run, the first 20 fixtures have already made venue movement the main planning factor.