IPL 2026 opening venues guide: where the season begins and how the first 20 matches are spread
The IPL 2026 opening venues guide begins in Bengaluru at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad opens the league on Sat Mar 28, 2026 at 7:30 PM IST. The first 20 confirmed fixtures run from Mar 28 to Apr 12, 2026 across 10 venues, giving the opening fortnight a clear city-by-city spread before the rest of the league stage takes over from Apr 13 to May 24.
Full schedule: first 20 confirmed matches
| Match No. | Date | Time (IST) | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, Mar 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Sun, Mar 29, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mon, Mar 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | Tue, Mar 31, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | Wed, Apr 1, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | Thu, Apr 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | Fri, Apr 3, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | Sat, Apr 4, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | Sat, Apr 4, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Sun, Apr 5, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Sun, Apr 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Mon, Apr 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | Tue, Apr 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 14 | Wed, Apr 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 15 | Thu, Apr 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 16 | Fri, Apr 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | Sat, Apr 11, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | Sat, Apr 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | Sun, Apr 12, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | Sun, Apr 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
Opening venues summary
| Venue | City | Matches hosted in first 20 | Match numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 3 | 2, 14, 20 |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 2 | 3, 16 |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | 4, 17 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | 5, 19 |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 2 | 6, 12 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 3 | 7, 15, 18 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | 8, 13 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | 9 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | 10 |
Double-header dates in the opening block
| Date | Match 1 | Venue 1 | Match 2 | Venue 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 2026 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Apr 5, 2026 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Apr 11, 2026 | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Apr 12, 2026 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
The opening block includes both 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST starts, with four double-header days on Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 11 and Apr 12. After the first 20 matches, the confirmed league-stage remainder runs from Apr 13 to May 24, 2026 across 12 venues in India, before the playoffs are staged from May 26 to May 31 across three cities.
For fans tracking where the tournament begins, the venue map is straightforward: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad all host matches in the first 20 fixtures.