IPL 2026 opening venues guide: where the first 20 matches land
The first 20 IPL 2026 fixtures are spread across 10 venues from Mar 28 to Apr 12, giving mobile readers a quick way to scan the early timetable by ground rather than by team. The busiest early stops are Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium, while Bengaluru, Mumbai and Lucknow all return more than once in the opening block.
This venue-first guide maps the first 20 confirmed matches by stadium, city, date and IST start time, so you can see where the season begins at a glance.
First 20 IPL 2026 matches by stadium, city and start time
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat Mar 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Sun Mar 29, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mon Mar 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | Tue Mar 31, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | Wed Apr 1, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | Thu Apr 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | Fri Apr 3, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | Sat Apr 4, 2026 | 3:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | Sat Apr 4, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Sun Apr 5, 2026 | 3:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Sun Apr 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Mon Apr 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | Sat Apr 11, 2026 | 3:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | Sat Apr 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | Sun Apr 12, 2026 | 3:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | Sun Apr 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
What stands out in the opening block
The opening stretch includes two double-header Saturdays/Sundays, with afternoon and evening games on Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 11 and Apr 12. That makes the first two weeks especially easy to scan by time slot as well as by venue.
Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium host three matches each in the first 20, giving Kolkata and Jaipur the heaviest early run. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Wankhede Stadium and Ekana Cricket Stadium appear twice apiece, so Bengaluru, Mumbai and Lucknow also stay in rotation.
For a venue-only snapshot, the opening block is spread across 10 grounds, with repeat visits concentrated at Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Bengaluru, Mumbai and Lucknow each return twice, while Chennai, Delhi, Mohali, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad fill out the rest of the early map.
Opening venues and how often they appear
| Venue | Matches in first 20 | Match dates |
|---|---|---|
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3 | Apr 2, Apr 6, Apr 9 |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 3 | Mar 30, Apr 7, Apr 10 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 2 | Apr 1, Apr 12 |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 2 | Mar 28, Apr 5 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 2 | Apr 3, Apr 11 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 2 | Apr 4, Apr 8 |
| IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 2 | Mar 31, Apr 11 |
| Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 2 | Mar 29, Apr 12 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 1 | Apr 4 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 1 | Apr 5 |
The remaining 50 league-stage matches run from Apr 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India.