IPL 2026 opening schedule by team: every franchise’s first match
The IPL 2026 opening schedule by team is the fastest way to check how each franchise begins the season. Below, you’ll find each side’s first confirmed fixture, plus the opening 20-match schedule for quick reference.
IPL 2026 starts on 28 March, and the first 20 confirmed fixtures run through 12 April. Every team appears at least once in that opening block, so fans can scan straight to their club’s opener.
Team-by-team first match guide
| Team | First match date | Opponent | Venue | Time IST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 28 Mar 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 28 Mar 2026 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| Mumbai Indians | 29 Mar 2026 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 29 Mar 2026 | Mumbai Indians | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| Rajasthan Royals | 30 Mar 2026 | Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| Chennai Super Kings | 30 Mar 2026 | Rajasthan Royals | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 7:30 PM |
| Punjab Kings | 31 Mar 2026 | Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 7:30 PM |
| Gujarat Titans | 31 Mar 2026 | Punjab Kings | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 7:30 PM |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 1 Apr 2026 | Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| Delhi Capitals | 1 Apr 2026 | Lucknow Super Giants | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
- The season has 84 matches scheduled, according to The Hindu snippet in the corpus.
- Chennai Super Kings begin their campaign on 30 March against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
- Kolkata Knight Riders begin against Mumbai Indians on 29 March.
- Mumbai Indians have the complete list of all 70 league-stage matches after the second phase release.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad start without regular captain Pat Cummins for the first few matches.
Opening 20 confirmed IPL 2026 fixtures
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29 Mar | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 3 | 30 Mar | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 4 | 31 Mar | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| 5 | 1 Apr | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| 6 | 2 Apr | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 7 | 3 Apr | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| 8 | 4 Apr | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 9 | 4 Apr | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 5 Apr | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| 11 | 5 Apr | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| 12 | 6 Apr | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 13 | 7 Apr | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 14 | 8 Apr | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 15 | 9 Apr | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 16 | 10 Apr | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 17 | 11 Apr | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| 18 | 11 Apr | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| 19 | 12 Apr | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| 20 | 12 Apr | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
Quick schedule notes
- Double-header dates in the opening stretch: 4 April, 5 April, 11 April and 12 April.
- The season is scheduled for 84 matches.