IPL 2026 opening week storylines: running board for Matches 1-20
The first 20 IPL 2026 fixtures play out like a two-week scoreboard thread: opening night, repeat team appearances, and four double-header days that keep the pace moving from Mar 28 to Apr 12. This is the running board for the opening stretch, with confirmed fixtures only and results to be added when they are officially available.
Opening thread: Matches 1-20
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | Result/Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Scheduled |
| 2 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Scheduled |
| 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Scheduled |
| 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Scheduled |
| 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Scheduled |
| 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Scheduled |
| 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Scheduled |
| 8 | Sat Apr 4 | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Scheduled |
| 9 | Sat Apr 4 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Scheduled |
| 10 | Sun Apr 5 | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Scheduled |
| 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Scheduled |
| 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Scheduled |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Scheduled |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Scheduled |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Scheduled |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Scheduled |
| 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Scheduled |
| 18 | Sat Apr 11 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Scheduled |
| 19 | Sun Apr 12 | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Scheduled |
| 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Scheduled |
Fast scan
- Opening night lands on Sat Mar 28: RCB vs SRH starts the first live thread of the season at 7:30 PM in Bengaluru.
- The pace changes on Apr 4: the first double-header arrives with DC vs MI in Delhi, then GT vs RR in Ahmedabad.
- RCB return quickly on Apr 5: they are back for the night game against CSK at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
- The thread stays stacked through Apr 11 and Apr 12: two more double-header days keep the opening run moving.
- Apr 12 closes the first 20 fixtures with another Sunday double-header: LSG vs GT in Lucknow, then MI vs RCB in Mumbai.
- All 20 matches are confirmed as scheduled for now; results remain to be added when officially available.
Double-header watch
| Date | Fixture 1 | Fixture 2 | Thread note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Apr 4 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians — 3:30 PM, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals — 7:30 PM, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | First double-header day. |
| Sun Apr 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants — 3:30 PM, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings — 7:30 PM, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | RCB back in the night slot. |
| Sat Apr 11 | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad — 3:30 PM, IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals — 7:30 PM, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Late-week double-header. |
| Sun Apr 12 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans — 3:30 PM, Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 7:30 PM, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Opening 20 ends on a stacked Sunday. |
Status check
All 20 fixtures are scheduled. Results will be added only when confirmed in the corpus.