IPL 2026 opening week talking points: live score thread through April 6
The IPL 2026 opening week runs from March 28 to April 12, and the confirmed slate works best as a live-style score thread through the first nine days, with the opener on March 28 in Bengaluru and the next clear checkpoint on April 6, 2026. The season starts with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, then moves into a tight run of evening fixtures before the schedule hands off to KKR vs PBKS at Eden Gardens.
The opening weekend coverage already points to 26% growth and 515 million reach across all platforms. That gives the first week a strong audience marker before the schedule even reaches its April 6 checkpoint.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Opening weekend coverage growth | 26% |
| Opening weekend reach across all platforms | 515 million |
Confirmed opening-week schedule
This is the confirmed opening-week run from March 28 to April 12, 2026. The article is focused on matches played through April 6, with the next game to come also included so readers can track the thread at a glance.
| Match | Date | Time (IST) | Teams | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Played |
| Match 2 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Played |
| Match 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Played |
| Match 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM IST | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | Played |
| Match 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM IST | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | Played |
| Match 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Played |
| Match 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Played |
| Match 8 | Sat Apr 4 | 3:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Played |
| Match 9 | Sat Apr 4 | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Played |
| Match 10 | Sun Apr 5 | 3:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Played |
| Match 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Played |
| Match 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Next up |
| Match 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM IST | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Scheduled |
| Match 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM IST | Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Scheduled |
| Match 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM IST | Gujarat Titans vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Scheduled |
| Match 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM IST | Chennai Super Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Scheduled |
| Match 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 PM IST | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Scheduled |
| Match 18 | Sat Apr 11 | 7:30 PM IST | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Punjab Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | Scheduled |
| Match 19 | Sun Apr 12 | 3:30 PM IST | Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | Scheduled |
| Match 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM IST | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | Scheduled |
Opening-week rhythm at a glance
The first seven matches are all straight evening games, which keeps the opening week simple to follow before the schedule starts to split. That steady run also means the opener in Bengaluru sets the tone for a compact, night-heavy start.
The first real shift comes on April 4 and April 5, when the calendar turns into back-to-back double-header days. That compresses the week into two-city bursts and makes the live thread feel busier without needing any result context.
April 4 and April 5: the schedule compresses
April 4 splits the action between Delhi and Ahmedabad, with a 3:30 PM IST start followed by a 7:30 PM IST start. April 5 repeats that pressure point in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
For readers tracking the opening-week thread, that matters because the pace changes fast. The schedule moves from one match a night to four matches across two days, which is the sharpest break in the first-week rhythm.
April 6: the handoff point
By April 6, 2026, the next confirmed marker is Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, at 7:30 PM IST. It is the handoff point for the opening-week recap and the next fixed stop in the confirmed run.
Everything after that remains part of the same broader opening-week window through April 12. For now, KKR vs PBKS is the cleanest checkpoint for readers following the thread from the opener through the first week’s turn.