IPL 2026 opening week venues and travel analysis: 20 fixtures, 10 cities, and a packed opening rhythm
The IPL 2026 opening week venues and travel analysis is best read as a movement map, not just a fixture list. The confirmed opening block runs from Match 1 on Sat Mar 28 to Match 20 on Sun Apr 12, with the first seven games creating a near-daily change of city before the calendar shifts into split-weekend mode.
Across the first 20 fixtures, the action reaches Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. That spread matters because it turns the opening stretch into a sequence of short resets, then two double-header weekends that split attention across separate venues on the same day.
Full confirmed fixture table
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 17 | Sat Apr 11 | 3:30 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 | 3:30 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 |
Schedule note: The remainder of the league stage, comprising 50 matches, is played from Apr 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India. The playoffs are held between May 26 and 31 across three different cities.
Weekend double-headers and the match-day rhythm
The first double-header arrives on Sat Apr 4, with Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians at 3:30 PM in Delhi and Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals at 7:30 PM in Ahmedabad. That creates the first same-day split across two cities, after a run of single-match days.
The pattern repeats on Sun Apr 5, when Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants is scheduled for 3:30 PM in Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings follows at 7:30 PM in Bengaluru. The opening block then closes with another double-header burst on Sat Apr 11 and Sun Apr 12.
| Date | Match 1 | Match 2 | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Apr 4 | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians at 3:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals at 7:30 PM | Delhi, Ahmedabad |
| Sun Apr 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants at 3:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings at 7:30 PM | Hyderabad, Bengaluru |
| Sat Apr 11 | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at 3:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals at 7:30 PM | Mohali, Chennai |
| Sun Apr 12 | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans at 3:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru at 7:30 PM | Lucknow, Mumbai |
Consecutive venue changes and travel flow
The opening stretch starts with a different city on each of the first seven match days. That means the schedule never settles into one venue for long before the first split weekend arrives.
After Apr 5, the block eases into a short reset, then moves back into a single-match rhythm before the final Apr 11-12 burst. The travel pattern is defined by repeated overnight venue changes, plus the two same-day city splits on each double-header weekend.
| Match block | From city | To city | Back-to-back or gap | Travel note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 → 2 | Bengaluru | Mumbai | One-day gap | Opening move to a new city |
| 2 → 3 | Mumbai | Jaipur | One-day gap | Another overnight relocation |
| 3 → 4 | Jaipur | Mohali | One-day gap | Daily venue change continues |
| 4 → 5 | Mohali | Lucknow | One-day gap | Short reset before Match 5 |
| 5 → 6 | Lucknow | Kolkata | One-day gap | Keeps the early sequence moving |
| 6 → 7 | Kolkata | Chennai | One-day gap | Ends the first seven-match run |
| 7 → 8 | Chennai | Delhi | One-day gap | Opens the first split weekend |
| 8 → 9 | Delhi | Ahmedabad | Same-day double-header | Two-city Saturday split |
| 9 → 10 | Ahmedabad | Hyderabad | One-day gap | Overnight reset into Sunday |
| 10 → 11 | Hyderabad | Bengaluru | Same-day double-header | Second split-day city change |
| 11 → 12 | Bengaluru | Mumbai | One-day gap | Back to a single-match day |
| 12 → 13 | Mumbai | Jaipur | One-day gap | Returns to a previously used city |
| 13 → 14 | Jaipur | Ahmedabad | One-day gap | Another overnight venue move |
| 14 → 15 | Ahmedabad | Chennai | One-day gap | Southward move before Apr 9 |
| 15 → 16 | Chennai | Lucknow | One-day gap | Sets up the final weekend burst |
| 16 → 17 | Lucknow | Mohali | One-day gap | Starts the Apr 11-12 closing burst |
| 17 → 18 | Mohali | Chennai | Same-day double-header | Saturday split across two cities |
| 18 → 19 | Chennai | Lucknow | One-day gap | Overnight reset into Sunday |
| 19 → 20 | Lucknow | Mumbai | Same-day double-header | Final opening-block city change |
What the opening block tells us
This opening run is built on rhythm rather than repetition. The first week keeps changing venues almost every day, then the two double-header weekends force the broadest spread of the block into the shortest windows.
For readers tracking the calendar, the main takeaway is simple: the first 20 matches are spread across 10 cities, with the heaviest scheduling pressure coming from the two split weekends and the final Apr 11-12 burst. After that, the league stage widens again from Apr 13, but the opening block has already set a brisk travel pattern.