IPL 2026 opening week venues ranked
The opening block runs from Sat Mar 28, 2026 to Sun Apr 12, 2026 and contains 20 matches across 10 venues. This ranking is based on confirmed opening-week fixture load plus the quality of repeat marquee fixtures, using only Match 1 to Match 20.
This is a venue ranking first, then a fixture reference. No atmosphere, pitch, crowd, or travel claims are used.
| Rank | Venue | City | Opening-week matches hosted | Key fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eden Gardens | Kolkata | 3 | Match 6: KKR vs SRH; Match 12: KKR vs PBKS; Match 15: KKR vs LSG |
| 2 | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | 3 | Match 3: RR vs CSK; Match 13: RR vs MI; Match 16: RR vs RCB |
| 3 | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | 2 | Match 1: RCB vs SRH; Match 11: RCB vs CSK |
| 4 | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | 2 | Match 2: MI vs KKR; Match 20: MI vs RCB |
| 5 | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 2 | Match 7: CSK vs PBKS; Match 18: CSK vs DC |
| 6 | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | 2 | Match 8: DC vs MI; Match 14: DC vs GT |
| 7 | IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | 2 | Match 4: PBKS vs GT; Match 17: PBKS vs SRH |
| 8 | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | 2 | Match 5: LSG vs DC; Match 19: LSG vs GT |
| 9 | Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | 1 | Match 9: GT vs RR |
| 10 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium | Hyderabad | 1 | Match 10: SRH vs LSG |
Why Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium lead
Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium sit at the top because they are the only venues with three confirmed opening-week matches. That gives them the heaviest fixture load in the block, and both also host repeat marquee games rather than a single standout fixture.
Kolkata’s set includes KKR vs SRH, KKR vs PBKS, and KKR vs LSG. Jaipur matches that with RR vs CSK, RR vs MI, and RR vs RCB, so both venues stay above the two-match group on volume alone, with repeated high-profile pairings reinforcing that edge.
The six two-match venues in the middle
The next tier is made up of six venues with two matches each. They do not match the top two on volume, so their place in the ranking comes down to the quality of the fixtures they host.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru has Match 1: RCB vs SRH and Match 11: RCB vs CSK. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai hosts Match 2: MI vs KKR and Match 20: MI vs RCB, while M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai has CSK vs PBKS and CSK vs DC.
Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi carries DC vs MI and DC vs GT. IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali has PBKS vs GT and PBKS vs SRH, and Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow hosts LSG vs DC and LSG vs GT.
The one-match venues close the list
Only two venues host a single opening-week match. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad appears once with GT vs RR, while Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad appears once with SRH vs LSG.
That places both at the bottom of the ranking on confirmed fixture load. They remain part of the opening block, but they do not carry the repeat-appearance weight of the higher-ranked venues.
Fixture-by-venue table
| Date | Time IST | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 1: RCB vs SRH | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Mar 29, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 2: MI vs KKR | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Mar 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 3: RR vs CSK | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 4: PBKS vs GT | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Apr 1, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 5: LSG vs DC | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Apr 2, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 6: KKR vs SRH | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Apr 3, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 7: CSK vs PBKS | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Apr 4, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Match 8: DC vs MI | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Apr 4, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 9: GT vs RR | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Apr 5, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Match 10: SRH vs LSG | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad |
| Apr 5, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 11: RCB vs CSK | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Apr 6, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 12: KKR vs PBKS | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Apr 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 13: RR vs MI | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Apr 8, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 14: DC vs GT | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| Apr 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 15: KKR vs LSG | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Apr 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 16: RR vs RCB | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Apr 11, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Match 17: PBKS vs SRH | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Apr 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 18: CSK vs DC | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Apr 12, 2026 | 3:30 PM | Match 19: LSG vs GT | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Apr 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Match 20: MI vs RCB | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
Key takeaway
The ranking is straightforward on the confirmed schedule: Eden Gardens and Sawai Mansingh Stadium lead because they each host three opening-week matches, while the six two-match venues form the middle tier and Ahmedabad and Hyderabad finish the list with one match each. Across Match 1 to Match 20, the early rhythm is shaped most by repeated venue use and repeated marquee fixtures, not by one-off appearances.
The rest of the league stage, comprising 50 matches, runs from April 13 to May 24, 2026, across 12 venues in India.