IPL 2026 opening week venues and travel analysis: Jaipur and Kolkata take the heaviest load in a split-day opening run
The IPL 2026 opening week venues and travel analysis starts with a clear route pattern: from March 28 to April 12, the first 20 matches keep cycling through repeat-host cities, and the heaviest venue load falls on Jaipur and Kolkata. The split-day pressure on April 4, April 5, April 11, and April 12 adds extra turnaround stress for teams, staff, and travelling fans.
That matters because the opening block is not spread evenly. It keeps pulling the league back to the same hubs, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad all hosting matches before the schedule moves into the next phase.
Confirmed opening block: Matches 1-20
| Match | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| Match 2 | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| Match 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| Match 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| Match 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| Match 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| Match 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| Match 8 | Sat Apr 4 | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| Match 9 | Sat Apr 4 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| Match 10 | Sun Apr 5 | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| Match 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| Match 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| Match 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| Match 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| Match 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| Match 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| Match 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| Match 18 | Sat Apr 11 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| Match 19 | Sun Apr 12 | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| Match 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
What the route means in practice
The opening block is built around repeat stops, not one-off venue swings. Jaipur and Kolkata absorb the most match traffic, while Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Mohali, and Lucknow also get return dates that keep the same venues active across the first two weeks.
For teams, the easiest stretches are the ones with consecutive games in the same city, especially Kolkata, Jaipur, Delhi, and Bengaluru. The most compressed turnaround sits on the split-day dates, where one match finishes and another city or venue immediately takes over the same day.
Venue-load table
| Venue | City | Number of opening-week matches | Match numbers hosted |
|---|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | 2, 20 |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | 3, 13, 16 |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | 4, 17 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | 5, 19 |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | 6, 12, 15 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | 7, 18 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | 8, 14 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | 9 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | 10 |
After this opening block, the league stage moves to 50 matches from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India, with the playoffs scheduled from May 26 to 31, 2026, across three cities.
Travel-flow table
| Team | opening-week venues visited | back-to-back city changes | note on whether the team stays in one city for consecutive games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Bengaluru, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Mumbai | Bengaluru to Bengaluru, then Bengaluru to Jaipur, then Jaipur to Mumbai | Yes, the team stays in Bengaluru for its first two opening-week games |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mohali | Bengaluru to Kolkata, then Kolkata to Hyderabad, then Hyderabad to Mohali | No, the route changes city after each match |
| Mumbai Indians | Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai | Mumbai to Delhi, then Delhi to Jaipur, then Jaipur to Mumbai | No, the route changes city after the opener |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai, Kolkata, Kolkata, Kolkata | Mumbai to Kolkata, then Kolkata to Kolkata, then Kolkata to Kolkata | Yes, the team stays in Kolkata for three straight home games after Match 2 |
| Rajasthan Royals | Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jaipur | Jaipur to Ahmedabad, then Ahmedabad to Jaipur, then Jaipur to Jaipur | Yes, the team returns to Jaipur for multiple home dates |
| Chennai Super Kings | Jaipur, Chennai, Chennai, Delhi | Jaipur to Chennai, then Chennai to Chennai, then Chennai to Delhi | Yes, the team has consecutive games in Chennai |
| Punjab Kings | Mohali, Chennai, Kolkata, Mohali | Mohali to Chennai, then Chennai to Kolkata, then Kolkata to Mohali | No, the route alternates cities across the block |
| Gujarat Titans | Mohali, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Lucknow | Mohali to Ahmedabad, then Ahmedabad to Delhi, then Delhi to Lucknow | No, the confirmed fixtures show a steady city-change pattern |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Lucknow, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow | Lucknow to Hyderabad, then Hyderabad to Kolkata, then Kolkata to Lucknow | No, the route moves away and later returns to Lucknow |
| Delhi Capitals | Lucknow, Delhi, Delhi, Chennai | Lucknow to Delhi, then Delhi to Delhi, then Delhi to Chennai | Yes, the team has consecutive games in Delhi |
Opening-block context after April 12
The venue concentration is why this opening run feels heavier than a standard fixture list. Jaipur and Kolkata take three matches each, while Mumbai and Bengaluru bookend the block with repeat fixtures that keep those cities in the spotlight at both ends of the schedule.
For fans, that means the busiest ticket and travel pressure is not spread evenly across the fortnight. It clusters around the repeat-host cities and the split-day dates, where the league moves fastest and the same venues keep coming back into play.