IPL 2026 opening venues guide: first 20 matches spread across 10 cities
This IPL 2026 opening venues guide shows the first 20 matches spread across 10 cities, with Jaipur and Kolkata hosting three games each. The opening fixture is Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Sat Mar 28, 7:30 PM.
The IPL 2026 league stage has 50 matches remaining from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India.
20-match opening block: dates, times, teams, venues
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | Sat Apr 4 | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | Sat Apr 4 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Sun Apr 5 | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | Sat Apr 11 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | Sun Apr 12 | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
How the opening venues unfold
Bengaluru starts the season, then Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad appear in the first 11 matches. After that, the early block begins to repeat the same venues, with Jaipur, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mohali, Lucknow, and Mumbai coming back into rotation.
Venue summary: stadiums with the most games in the opening block
| Venue | City | Matches in first 20 |
|---|---|---|
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 |
What stands out in the opening block
- Jaipur and Kolkata are the busiest venues in the first 20 matches, with three games each.
- Bengaluru, Mumbai, Mohali, Lucknow, Chennai, and Delhi all appear more than once, keeping the opening stretch spread across familiar grounds.
- Ahmedabad and Hyderabad are the only venues in this block that appear just once.