IPL 2026 opening week rivalries guide: first 20 fixtures, earliest marquee matchups and where they land
The IPL 2026 opening week rivalries guide starts with the first 20 confirmed fixtures already locked in from Mar 28 to Apr 12, and the earliest rivalry games arrive in a tight burst from day one. For mobile readers, the key split is simple: opening week runs Mar 28-Apr 3, while the broader opening fortnight runs Apr 4-Apr 12.
Full IPL 2026 Match 1-20 schedule
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 7:30 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 | 7:30 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 |
Opening week rivalry fixtures
The opening week is the fastest-moving part of the schedule. It begins with RCB vs SRH, then moves into MI vs KKR and RR vs CSK before continuing through KKR vs SRH and CSK vs PBKS.
| Fixture | Date | Time IST | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Sat, Mar 28 | 7:30 PM | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Sun, Mar 29 | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Mon, Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Thu, Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Fri, Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
Opening fortnight rivalry fixtures
The broader opening fortnight starts with the first double-header on Apr 4 and keeps the pressure on through Apr 12. This is where the schedule stacks up again, especially on the double-header days of Apr 4-5 and Apr 11-12.
| Fixture | Date | Time IST | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Sat, Apr 4 | 3:30 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Sat, Apr 4 | 7:30 PM | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Sun, Apr 5 | 3:30 PM | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Sun, Apr 5 | 7:30 PM | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Mon, Apr 6 | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Tue, Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Wed, Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Thu, Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Fri, Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Sat, Apr 11 | 7:30 PM | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Sat, Apr 11 | 7:30 PM | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Sun, Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sun, Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
Fast takeaway
The sharpest concentration of rivalry fixtures lands in three blocks: Mar 28-30, Apr 4-5, and Apr 11-12. That means the schedule opens with three straight rivalry nights, then reloads with double-header weekends that keep the opening fortnight busy right through the final day.
The earliest confirmed rivalry game is Match 1, RCB vs SRH in Bengaluru on Sat Mar 28 at 7:30 PM IST. The final fixture in this first 20-match run is Match 20, MI vs RCB in Mumbai on Sun Apr 12 at 7:30 PM IST, closing the opening fortnight with another marquee matchup.