IPL 2026 opening week venues ranked: Jaipur and Kolkata set the pace from Match 1 to Match 20
IPL 2026 opening week venues ranked begins with the ranking logic front and center: Jaipur and Kolkata top the list with three matches each, Bengaluru and Mumbai matter because they bookend the block, and the double-header cities add the heaviest single-day load across the first two weeks. From Match 1 on Mar 28 to Match 20 on Apr 12, the early season is being shaped less by chronology and more by which grounds keep coming back into the picture.
Venue ranking: which stadiums shape the opening fortnight most?
| Rank | Venue | City | Opening-week matches hosted | Key fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | Match 3: Fixture details not provided in source, Mon Mar 30, 7:30 PM; Match 13: Fixture details not provided in source, Tue Apr 7, 7:30 PM; Match 16: Fixture details not provided in source, Fri Apr 10, 7:30 PM |
| 1 | Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | Match 6: Fixture details not provided in source, Thu Apr 2, 7:30 PM; Match 12: Fixture details not provided in source, Mon Apr 6, 7:30 PM; Match 15: Fixture details not provided in source, Thu Apr 9, 7:30 PM |
| 3 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | Match 1: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sat Mar 28, 7:30 PM; Match 11: Fixture details not provided in source, Sun Apr 5, 7:30 PM |
| 4 | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | Match 2: Fixture details not provided in source, Sun Mar 29, 7:30 PM; Match 20: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sun Apr 12, 7:30 PM |
| 5 | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | Match 4: Fixture details not provided in source, Tue Mar 31, 7:30 PM; Match 17: Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sat Apr 11, 3:30 PM |
| 6 | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | Match 5: Fixture details not provided in source, Wed Apr 1, 7:30 PM; Match 19: Fixture details not provided in source, Sun Apr 12, 3:30 PM |
| 7 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | Match 7: Fixture details not provided in source, Fri Apr 3, 7:30 PM; Match 18: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Sat Apr 11, 7:30 PM |
| 8 | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | Match 8: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Sat Apr 4, 3:30 PM; Match 14: Fixture details not provided in source, Wed Apr 8, 7:30 PM |
| 9 | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | Match 9: Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, Sat Apr 4, 7:30 PM |
| 10 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | Match 10: Fixture details not provided in source, Sun Apr 5, 3:30 PM |
Why Jaipur and Kolkata sit at the top
Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur is the busiest venue in the opening stretch with three matches, and that volume alone puts it at No. 1. It hosts Match 3 on Mon Mar 30, 7:30 PM, Match 13 on Tue Apr 7, 7:30 PM, and Match 16 on Fri Apr 10, 7:30 PM, giving it the most repeated early-season presence.
Eden Gardens, Kolkata matches that load with three fixtures of its own. Its return dates — Match 6 on Thu Apr 2, 7:30 PM, Match 12 on Mon Apr 6, 7:30 PM, and Match 15 on Thu Apr 9, 7:30 PM — keep it in the frame throughout the opening fortnight.
Why Bengaluru and Mumbai still shape the story
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru matters because it opens the season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad in Match 1 on Sat Mar 28, 7:30 PM. It ranks highly because it also returns for Match 11 on Sun Apr 5, 7:30 PM, so the opening venue is back in play before the first two weeks are over.
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai has a different kind of weight: it hosts Match 2 on Sun Mar 29, 7:30 PM and the final opening-week fixture, Match 20, on Sun Apr 12, 7:30 PM. That makes Mumbai one of the clearest bookend venues in the entire opening block.
The double-header cities absorb the heaviest single-day load
The first Saturday double-header on Apr 4 is split between Delhi and Ahmedabad: DC vs MI at Arun Jaitley Stadium at 3:30 PM and GT vs RR at Narendra Modi Stadium at 7:30 PM. Together, they carry the most concentrated one-day spotlight in that weekend.
The second Saturday double-header on Apr 11 spreads across Mohali and Chennai, while Lucknow joins the heavy-load picture on Sun Apr 12. PBKS vs SRH at IS Bindra Stadium and CSK vs DC at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium make that Saturday especially dense, and Ekana Cricket Stadium adds another high-visibility fixture the next day.
Fixture-by-venue breakdown of the confirmed opening 20 matches
| Match number | 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 | Fixture details not provided in source | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 3 | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 4 | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| 5 | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| 6 | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 7 | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | 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 | Fixture details not provided in source | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| 11 | Sun Apr 5 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| 12 | Mon Apr 6 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 13 | Tue Apr 7 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 14 | Wed Apr 8 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 15 | Thu Apr 9 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 16 | Fri Apr 10 | 7:30 PM | Fixture details not provided in source | 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 | Fixture details not provided in source | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| 20 | Sun Apr 12 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
Bottom line
The opening fortnight is led by Jaipur and Kolkata on volume, while Bengaluru and Mumbai define the bookends and the double-header cities decide where the early load gets concentrated.