Royal Challengers Bengaluru, fresh from last year’s breakthrough title, will launch their defence against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru on 28 March. The opening fixture at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium begins another IPL season that, as usual in an election year, starts with a partial schedule: 20 matches spread across 23 days, including four weekend double-headers.
Stadium still under review
Last June’s celebratory stampede, in which 11 supporters lost their lives, forced the Karnataka government to re-examine safety measures at the Chinnaswamy. An independent committee must still sign off the ground. “The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on 13 March 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches,” an IPL release confirmed. Until that inspection, every fixture in Bengaluru remains technically provisional, though organisers are optimistic.
Opening weekend – one match at a time
Only two games are scheduled for the first weekend. After Friday night in Bengaluru, Mumbai Indians host Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede on Saturday. The league has avoided double-headers over that opening stretch, partly to keep logistical demands light while several states enter polling mode.
How the first phase works
Each of the ten franchises plays four matches in this initial block. The IPL has not published the usual “virtual group” breakdown – a quirk introduced when the league expanded to ten sides – but the ratios will stay familiar: teams usually meet group rivals twice and the opposite group once. Full clarity is expected when the remaining fixtures drop after election dates are finalised in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and elsewhere.
Teams on the road
Royal Challengers are the only side using three home bases. Two of their early-season matches move to Raipur in central India, a hedge against further restrictions in Bengaluru. Rajasthan Royals split time as well, opening with three games in Guwahati before returning to Jaipur. Punjab Kings, who have long argued for more cricket in the Himalayas, slot three fixtures into Dharamsala.
Sunrisers back in the spotlight
This will be just the second time SRH have featured in an IPL opener; the previous instance was 2017, when they began as holders and defeated an under-strength RCB. For Bengaluru, though, it is business as usual: a record seventh appearance in the tournament’s first match, though never before as defending champions. Captain Faf du Plessis remarked last week that carrying the trophy “doesn’t change our hunger; if anything it sharpens it,” and the franchise hierarchy appear settled, with the core of last year’s squad retained at auction.
Key dates
• 28 March: RCB v SRH, Bengaluru
• 29 March: MI v KKR, Mumbai
• 4-5 April: first double-header weekend
• 11-12 April: second double-header weekend
The final match in phase one falls on 19 April, after which the league will release the second-phase itinerary.
Looking further ahead
General elections have forced split schedules in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024. The IPL’s model is tried and tested: publish what can be confirmed, wait for the Election Commission to finish its calendar, then slot the rest. Broadcasters grumble about the uncertainty, yet it keeps the tournament in India and – crucially – near-capacity crowds. Given the tragic events of last summer, safety checks are taking precedence over speed.
Casual followers can expect the usual blend of afternoon and evening matches, Powerplays limited to six overs, and the return of the Impact Player rule that allows mid-innings substitutions – a tweak that split opinion last season but produced some decisive cameos.
What next?
Assuming the Chinnaswamy passes inspection, tickets for the opening match should go on sale in the third week of March. Both franchises, aware of the emotional weight attached to the fixture, have signalled a low-key build-up. Final squads report to pre-season camps from 15 March, overseas players arriving once national commitments conclude.
There is still cricket to be played elsewhere – Australia host New Zealand, England tour Pakistan – but from late March, the IPL takes centre stage again, starting where last season ended: Bengaluru.
