IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: first 20 matches mapped by stadium, city, and time
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide gives readers the opening fortnight map at a glance: the first 20 matches run from Mar 28 to Apr 12 across 10 venues. The tournament begins with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sat Mar 28 at 7:30 PM IST at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, before moving to Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders on Sun Mar 29 at 7:30 PM IST at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
First 20 IPL 2026 matches: full schedule by venue
| 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 Punjab Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 4 | Mar 31 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali |
| 5 | Apr 1 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 6 | Apr 2 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 7 | Apr 3 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | 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 Punjab Kings | 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 Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 13 | Apr 7 | Tue | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 14 | Apr 8 | Wed | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi |
| 15 | Apr 9 | Thu | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans | Eden Gardens | Kolkata |
| 16 | Apr 10 | Fri | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Mumbai Indians | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow |
| 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 | Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur |
| 20 | Apr 12 | Sun | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai |
Opening-week venue spread: Mar 28 to Apr 5
The first phase runs from Mar 28 to Apr 5 and takes the tournament across Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. That stretch covers the first 11 matches, with Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, and the other major stops all appearing before the opening week ends.
Multiple-match venues in this phase:
- Bengaluru — M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
- Mumbai — Wankhede Stadium
- Kolkata — Eden Gardens
- Chennai — M. A. Chidambaram Stadium
Second-week venue spread: Apr 6 to Apr 12
The second phase from Apr 6 to Apr 12 keeps the schedule moving through repeat venues, including Eden Gardens, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, IS Bindra Stadium, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Ekana Cricket Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, and Arun Jaitley Stadium. This is where the opening fortnight becomes a true venue map, with several stadiums hosting a second or third match before the league stage moves beyond the first 20 fixtures.
Multiple-match venues in this phase:
- Kolkata — Eden Gardens
- Jaipur — Sawai Mansingh Stadium
- Delhi — Arun Jaitley Stadium
- Lucknow — Ekana Cricket Stadium
- Mohali — IS Bindra Stadium
- Chennai — M. A. Chidambaram Stadium
- Mumbai — Wankhede Stadium
Venue summary: first 20 fixtures by stadium
| Stadium | City | Matches Hosted in the first 20 fixtures |
|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 |
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 |
| Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 |
The remainder of the league stage, comprising 50 matches, will be played from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India.