IPL 2026 opening week venues guide: Match-by-match schedule table for March 28 to April 12
The IPL 2026 opening week venues guide maps the first 20 matches across 10 stadiums from Mar 28 to Apr 12, 2026. The busiest early grounds are Eden Gardens, Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Wankhede Stadium, M. A. Chidambaram Stadium and Ekana Cricket Stadium, which each get repeat action in the opening stretch.
This is a venue-first look at the opening 20 fixtures, not a team preview or results tracker. The key pattern is simple: the early schedule is spread across India, with several stadiums hosting more than one home date before the league stage moves beyond Apr 12.
| Match No. | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 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 |
Where the opening stretch is concentrated
- Most active venues: Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium host three matches each in the first 20.
- Repeat home dates: Wankhede Stadium has Match 2 and Match 20; M. A. Chidambaram Stadium has Match 7 and Match 18; Ekana Cricket Stadium has Match 5 and Match 19.
- Double-header days: The opening stretch includes double-headers on Apr 4, Apr 5, Apr 11 and Apr 12.
Venue summary for the opening 20 matches only
| Stadium | City | Matches in first 20 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Quick transition
That leaves 50 league-stage matches from Apr 13 to May 24, 2026, spread across 12 venues in India. This remains an opening-week and early-season venues guide, not a team preview, points-table update or results story.