IPL 2026 venues guide opening matches: Match-by-match schedule for the first 20 games
The IPL 2026 venues guide opening matches begins with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sat Mar 28, 7:30 PM IST at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. The first 20 matches run from March 28 to April 12, 2026, and the opening stretch includes four double-header dates: April 4, April 5, April 11 and April 12.
The first 20 matches are spread across these 10 venues: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, IS Bindra Stadium, Ekana Cricket Stadium, Eden Gardens, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Narendra Modi Stadium and Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The league stage remainder then moves on to 50 matches from April 13 to May 24, 2026 across 12 venues in India.
IPL 2026 opening 20-match schedule
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar 2026 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29 Mar 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | 30 Mar 2026 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | 31 Mar 2026 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | 1 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | 2 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | 3 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | 4 Apr 2026 | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | 4 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 5 Apr 2026 | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 5 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | 6 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | 7 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | 8 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | 9 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | 10 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | 11 Apr 2026 | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | 11 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | 12 Apr 2026 | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | 12 Apr 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
Venue summary for the opening 20 matches
| Venue | City | Matches in opening 20 | Key fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | KKR vs SRH; KKR vs PBKS; KKR vs LSG |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | RR vs CSK; RR vs MI; RR vs RCB |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | RCB vs SRH; RCB vs CSK |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | CSK vs PBKS; CSK vs DC |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | DC vs MI; DC vs GT |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | LSG vs DC; LSG vs GT |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | MI vs KKR; MI vs RCB |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | PBKS vs GT; PBKS vs SRH |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | GT vs RR |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | SRH vs LSG |
What stands out by venue
The opening 20-match block is heavily concentrated around repeat home grounds: eight venues host more than one game, while only Ahmedabad and Hyderabad appear once each. That pattern is reinforced by the four double-header days, which help cluster the schedule across April 4, April 5, April 11 and April 12 rather than spreading those fixtures evenly.
Double-header days in the opening 20
| Date | Match 1 | Match 2 | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Apr 2026 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi / Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 3:30 PM / 7:30 PM |
| 5 Apr 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad / M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 3:30 PM / 7:30 PM |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali / M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 3:30 PM / 7:30 PM |
| 12 Apr 2026 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow / Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 3:30 PM / 7:30 PM |
The first 20-match block ends with Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sun Apr 12, 7:30 PM IST at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.