IPL 2026 rivalries guide first 20 matches: a rivalry relay from Bengaluru to Mumbai
The IPL 2026 rivalries guide first 20 matches is not a routine schedule recap — it is a chain of rivalry touchpoints from Saturday, March 28 to Sunday, April 12, 2026. The block opens with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, moves through Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, and closes with Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
That order builds momentum fast: opener, opening weekend, the first double-header, then a sharp April 11-12 finish. In between, the confirmed fixture list keeps dropping marquee matchups into prime slots across the first 20 games.
First 20 IPL 2026 fixtures at a glance
| Match No. | Date | Day | Fixture | Time IST | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28/03/26 | Sat | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29/03/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | 30/03/26 | Mon | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | 31/03/26 | Tue | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | 7:30 PM | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | 01/04/26 | Wed | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | 02/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | 03/04/26 | Fri | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | 3:30 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | 04/04/26 | Sat | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | 7:30 PM | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | 3:30 PM | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 05/04/26 | Sun | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | 06/04/26 | Mon | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | 07/04/26 | Tue | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | 08/04/26 | Wed | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | 7:30 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | 09/04/26 | Thu | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | 10/04/26 | Fri | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3:30 PM | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | 11/04/26 | Sat | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | 3:30 PM | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | 12/04/26 | Sun | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
Rivalry map: the first 20 fixtures by theme
| Rivalry/Matchup | Match No. | Date | Venue | Why it stands out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCB vs SRH | 1 | 28 Mar 2026 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Opening-night rivalry game that sets the tone for the block. |
| MI vs KKR | 2 | 29 Mar 2026 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Opening-week heavyweight clash in a marquee Mumbai slot. |
| RR vs CSK | 3 | 30 Mar 2026 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Early statement game between two major home-following sides. |
| KKR vs SRH | 6 | 2 Apr 2026 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | First Kolkata rivalry night of the opening week. |
| CSK vs PBKS | 7 | 3 Apr 2026 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Prime-time Chennai fixture ahead of the first double-header. |
| DC vs MI | 8 | 4 Apr 2026 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | First afternoon double-header match of the block. |
| GT vs RR | 9 | 4 Apr 2026 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Night half of the first double-header keeps the rivalry pace high. |
| SRH vs LSG | 10 | 5 Apr 2026 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Afternoon slot that leads into the Bengaluru marquee clash. |
| RCB vs CSK | 11 | 5 Apr 2026 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Bengaluru marquee home-night clash in the first week. |
| KKR vs PBKS | 12 | 6 Apr 2026 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Another Eden Gardens rivalry night in the opening block. |
| RR vs MI | 13 | 7 Apr 2026 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Jaipur hosts another big-name rivalry fixture. |
| DC vs GT | 14 | 8 Apr 2026 | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Mid-block Delhi meeting between two playoff-calibre teams. |
| KKR vs LSG | 15 | 9 Apr 2026 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Kolkata gets another home-night rivalry fixture. |
| RR vs RCB | 16 | 10 Apr 2026 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Jaipur’s second major showdown of the first 20. |
| PBKS vs SRH | 17 | 11 Apr 2026 | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | First April 11 afternoon game in a double-header day. |
| CSK vs DC | 18 | 11 Apr 2026 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Chennai’s evening marquee clash on the same double-header day. |
| LSG vs GT | 19 | 12 Apr 2026 | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Sunday afternoon rivalry fixture before the block finale. |
| MI vs RCB | 20 | 12 Apr 2026 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Block-ending Mumbai blockbuster between two of the league’s biggest draws. |
From Bengaluru’s opener to Mumbai’s finale, the first 20 matches read like a rivalry relay, not a flat fixture list.