IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: full match-by-match stadium table
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide covers 20 confirmed matches from March 28 to April 12, with the league stage then moving into a 50-match remainder from April 13 to May 24 across 12 venues in India, according to the schedule announcement in the corpus. For readers comparing stadium access, this is the quickest way to map each fixture to its ground, city and IST start time. If you need the wider competition context, check the full IPL 2026 schedule.
| Match No. | Date | Day | Time IST | Teams | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 28 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 2 | Mar 29 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
| 3 | Mar 30 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | Mar 31 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | Apr 1 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | Apr 2 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | Apr 3 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 8 | Apr 4 | Sat | 3:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 9 | Apr 4 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | Apr 5 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad |
| 11 | Apr 5 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru |
| 12 | Apr 6 | Mon | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | Apr 7 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | Apr 8 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | Apr 9 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | Apr 10 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 17 | Apr 11 | Sat | 3:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 18 | Apr 11 | Sat | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai |
| 19 | Apr 12 | Sun | 3:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 20 | Apr 12 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
Stadiums that host more than one game in this block
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide is especially useful because several grounds repeat quickly, which matters for travel, ticketing and broadcast planning. The busiest venues in this opening block are Eden Gardens, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Ekana Cricket Stadium, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium and Wankhede Stadium.
| Stadium | City | Matches hosted in this block | Match numbers | Multiple games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | 6, 12, 15 | Yes |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | 3, 13, 16 | Yes |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | 8, 14 | Yes |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 | Yes |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | 5, 19 | Yes |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | 7, 18 | Yes |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | 2, 20 | Yes |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | 4, 17 | Yes |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | 9 | No |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | 10 | No |
Two double-header Saturdays are confirmed in this early block: April 4 and April 11, both with 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM IST starts. That makes the fixture map easy to scan on mobile, especially if you are tracking a single venue or planning around IPL 2026 opening week fixtures.
Key takeaway: the opening 20-match block is spread across 10 venues, with seven stadiums hosting multiple games and two double-header Saturdays shaping the schedule.
IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: stadium-by-stadium host map
IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: stadium-by-stadium host map
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide is built around a simple pattern: seven stadiums host multiple matches in the March 28-April 12 block, while the broader league stage then shifts into a 50-match remainder from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India, according to the schedule announcement in the corpus.
| Stadium | City | Matches hosted in this block | Match numbers | Multiple games? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 | Yes |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | 2, 20 | Yes |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | 3, 13, 16 | Yes |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | 4, 17 | Yes |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | 5, 19 | Yes |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | 6, 12, 15 | Yes |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | 7, 18 | Yes |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | 8, 14 | Yes |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | 9 | No |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | 10 | No |
The busiest grounds in the opening block
Jaipur, Kolkata and Bengaluru are the most frequent hosts in this early run, with Sawai Mansingh Stadium and Eden Gardens taking three matches each, and M. Chinnaswamy Stadium hosting two. That matters for fans planning a ground-hopping trip, because the IPL 2026 opening week venues guide is less about team form and more about which cities get repeated access to marquee fixtures.
For quick planning, the repeat venues are easy to track: Wankhede Stadium gets Match 2 and Match 20; Ekana Cricket Stadium gets Match 5 and Match 19; and Arun Jaitley Stadium is on the schedule for Match 8 and Match 14. If you want the full date-by-date slate, check the IPL 2026 schedule alongside this venue map.
One-match venues and the double-header days
Only Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad and Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad are one-off hosts in this opening block, each appearing once before the schedule moves deeper into the season. The two double-header Saturdays are April 4 and April 11, with 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST starts on both dates, as listed in the confirmed fixture list.
That makes this IPL 2026 opening week venues guide especially useful for mobile readers: you can scan the stadium column first, then jump straight to the match numbers and timing. For squad context around the teams most affected by these ground assignments, see IPL 2026 squads.
Key takeaway: Seven venues handle repeat fixtures in the opening block, with Jaipur and Kolkata leading the way on three games each, before the league stage expands across 12 Indian venues from April 13 onward.
IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: Frequently Asked Questions
IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: the confirmed opening block runs through 20 matches from March 28 to April 12, and the league-stage remainder then stretches from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India, per the schedule announcement in the corpus and ESPN India’s overview.
How many venues are in the opening block?
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide covers 12 stadiums in the confirmed March 28 to April 12 fixture block. That count matters because several grounds host more than one match, so fans should check the venue, not just the date.
| Stadium | City | Matches hosted in this block | Match numbers | Multiple games? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 | Yes |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | 2, 20 | Yes |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | 3, 13, 16 | Yes |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | 4, 17 | Yes |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | 5, 19 | Yes |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | 6, 12, 15 | Yes |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | 7, 18 | Yes |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | 8, 14 | Yes |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | 9 | No |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | 10 | No |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | 1, 11 | Yes |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | 2, 20 | Yes |
Which dates are the double-header Saturdays?
There are two double-header Saturdays in the confirmed schedule: April 4 and April 11. Both days feature a 3:30 PM IST match followed by a 7:30 PM IST match, which is useful for fans planning a same-day stadium visit or a TV watchlist.
- Sat Apr 4: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians at 3:30 PM IST in Delhi
- Sat Apr 4: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals at 7:30 PM IST in Ahmedabad
- Sat Apr 11: Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at 3:30 PM IST in Mohali
- Sat Apr 11: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals at 7:30 PM IST in Chennai
Which stadiums host repeat games in this block?
Repeat hosts are a major feature of this IPL 2026 opening week venues guide. Eden Gardens, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Ekana Cricket Stadium, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, and Arun Jaitley Stadium all stage multiple matches before April 12.
For the full fixture list by date and time, see IPL 2026 schedule. If you want broader tournament context, check IPL 2026 venues.
Key takeaway: The opening block uses 12 venues, includes two double-header Saturdays, and leads into a 50-match league-stage remainder from April 13 to May 24 across 12 Indian venues.