TATA IPL 2026 Full Schedule, Teams, Squads, Live Streaming & Tickets Guide
India just won the T20 World Cup 2026 back-to-back and the country has already shifted straight into IPL mode. TATA IPL 2026 kicks off March 28 with defending champions RCB hosting SRH at Chinnaswamy, and the complete IPL 2026 schedule is now confirmed across 70 matches and 12 venues through May 24. World Cup stars returning to their franchises, fresh auction squads, ten teams all believing this is their year. It is set up to be the most competitive IPL season ever.
IPL 2026 is set up to be the most competitive season this tournament has ever seen. Here is everything you need to know.
IPL 2026 Tournament Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) |
| Edition | 19th Season (IPL 19) |
| Organiser | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| Start Date | 28 March 2026 |
| Final Date | 31 May 2026 |
| Total Matches | 84 (Expanded Format) |
| Format | Double Round-Robin + Playoffs |
| Defending Champion | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) |
| Opening Venue | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Final Venue | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Host Country | India |
IPL 2026 Start Date and Opening Match
The BCCI confirmed the complete TATA IPL 2026 schedule with all 70 matches now officially released. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host the season opener on March 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sunrisers Hyderabad. RCB claimed their maiden IPL title in 2025, beating Punjab Kings in the final by just six runs after 18 years of waiting, and they begin their title defence at home in front of what will be a packed and electric Chinnaswamy crowd.
Download IPL 2026 Schedule PDF
IPL 2026 Schedule & Fixtures
The full fixture list for the first 20 matches was officially released by the BCCI on March 11, 2026. Below is the confirmed schedule, with all venues and dates locked in. The remaining fixtures will be announced separately once Phase 1 gets underway.
IPL 2026 First Phase Schedule
| Match | Date | Day | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar | Sat | SRH vs RCB | Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29 Mar | Sun | MI vs KKR | Mumbai |
| 3 | 30 Mar | Mon | CSK vs RR | Guwahati |
| 4 | 31 Mar | Tue | GT vs PBKS | New Chandigarh |
| 5 | 01 Apr | Wed | LSG vs DC | Lucknow |
| 6 | 02 Apr | Thu | SRH vs KKR | Kolkata |
| 7 | 03 Apr | Fri | PBKS vs CSK | Chennai |
| 8 | 04 Apr | Sat | DC vs MI | Delhi |
| 9 | 04 Apr | Sat | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 05 Apr | Sun | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 05 Apr | Sun | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru |
| 12 | 06 Apr | Mon | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata |
| 13 | 07 Apr | Tue | RR vs MI | Guwahati |
| 14 | 08 Apr | Wed | DC vs GT | Delhi |
| 15 | 09 Apr | Thu | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata |
| 16 | 10 Apr | Fri | RCB vs RR | Guwahati |
| 17 | 11 Apr | Sat | PBKS vs SRH | New Chandigarh |
| 18 | 11 Apr | Sat | CSK vs DC | Chennai |
| 19 | 12 Apr | Sun | LSG vs GT | Lucknow |
| 20 | 12 Apr | Sun | MI vs RCB | Mumbai |
| 21 | 13 Apr | Mon | SRH vs GT | Hyderabad |
| 22 | 14 Apr | Tue | CSK vs KKR | Chennai |
| 23 | 15 Apr | Wed | RCB vs RR | Bengaluru |
| 24 | 16 Apr | Thu | MI vs PBKS | Mumbai |
| 25 | 17 Apr | Fri | LSG vs KKR | Ahmedabad |
| 26 | 18 Apr | Sat | RR vs GT | Jaipur |
| 27 | 18 Apr | Sat | SRH vs RCB | Ahmedabad |
| 28 | 19 Apr | Sun | KKR vs DC | Kolkata |
| 29 | 19 Apr | Sun | PBKS vs LSG | New Chandigarh |
| 30 | 20 Apr | Mon | GT vs MI | Ahmedabad |
| 31 | 21 Apr | Tue | DC vs SRH | Hyderabad |
| 32 | 22 Apr | Wed | RR vs LSG | Lucknow |
| 33 | 23 Apr | Thu | CSK vs MI | Mumbai |
| 34 | 24 Apr | Fri | RCB vs GT | Bengaluru |
| 35 | 25 Apr | Sat | DC vs PBKS | Delhi |
| 36 | 25 Apr | Sat | RR vs SRH | Jaipur |
| 37 | 26 Apr | Sun | CSK vs GT | Ahmedabad |
| 38 | 26 Apr | Sun | KKR vs LSG | Lucknow |
| 39 | 27 Apr | Mon | RCB vs DC | Delhi |
| 40 | 28 Apr | Tue | PBKS vs RR | New Chandigarh |
| 41 | 29 Apr | Wed | MI vs LSG | Mumbai |
| 42 | 30 Apr | Thu | GT vs RCB | Ahmedabad |
| 43 | 01 May | Fri | RR vs DC | Jaipur |
| 44 | 02 May | Sat | MI vs CSK | Chennai |
| 45 | 03 May | Sun | KKR vs SRH | Hyderabad |
| 46 | 03 May | Sun | GT vs PBKS | Ahmedabad |
| 47 | 04 May | Mon | MI vs KKR | Mumbai |
| 48 | 05 May | Tue | CSK vs DC | Delhi |
| 49 | 06 May | Wed | PBKS vs SRH | Hyderabad |
| 50 | 07 May | Thu | RCB vs LSG | Lucknow |
| 51 | 08 May | Fri | KKR vs DC | Delhi |
| 52 | 09 May | Sat | GT vs RR | Jaipur |
| 53 | 10 May | Sun | LSG vs CSK | Chennai |
| 54 | 10 May | Sun | MI vs RCB | Raipur |
| 55 | 11 May | Mon | SRH vs GT | Dharamshala |
| 56 | 12 May | Tue | KKR vs RCB | Ahmedabad |
| 57 | 13 May | Wed | MI vs SRH | Raipur |
| 58 | 14 May | Thu | RCB vs MI | Dharamshala |
| 59 | 15 May | Fri | LSG vs RR | Lucknow |
| 60 | 16 May | Sat | GT vs KKR | Kolkata |
| 61 | 17 May | Sun | RCB vs PBKS | Dharamshala |
| 62 | 17 May | Sun | RR vs SRH | Delhi |
| 63 | 18 May | Mon | CSK vs LSG | Chennai |
| 64 | 19 May | Tue | RR vs MI | Jaipur |
| 65 | 20 May | Wed | KKR vs GT | Kolkata |
| 66 | 21 May | Thu | CSK vs MI | Chennai |
| 67 | 22 May | Fri | LSG vs PBKS | Lucknow |
| 68 | 23 May | Sat | RR vs DC | Mumbai |
| 69 | 24 May | Sun | CSK vs SRH | Kolkata |
| 70 | 24 May | Sun | RCB vs KKR | Kolkata |
| Phase | Period | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| League Stage Phase 1 | March 28 – April 27, 2026 | First 40+ matches |
| League Stage Phase 2 | Late April – May 24, 2026 | Remaining league matches |
| Qualifier 1 | May 26, 2026 | Top 2 teams |
| Eliminator | May 27, 2026 | 3rd vs 4th |
| Qualifier 2 | May 29, 2026 | Loser Q1 vs Winner Eliminator |
| IPL 2026 Final | May 31, 2026 | M. Chinnaswamy, Bengaluru |
Key scheduling notes to keep in mind:
- Weekday matches start at 7:30 PM IST
- Weekend double-headers run at 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST
- Qualifier 1 and the Final are both confirmed for M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
- Eliminator and Qualifier 2 venues are expected to be Ahmedabad or Raipur (to be confirmed)
- RCB will play five home games in Bengaluru and two “home” fixtures in Raipur at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium
IPL 2026 Teams and Captains
All 10 franchises return for the 19th edition. After the December 2025 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, squads have been finalised with some notable captaincy changes and key signings that will reshape the competition.
| # | Team | Captain | Home Ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Ruturaj Gaikwad | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| 2 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Hardik Pandya | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| 3 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Rajat Patidar | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| 4 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Ajinkya Rahane | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| 5 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Pat Cummins | Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Stadium, Hyderabad |
| 6 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | Axar Patel | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi |
| 7 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Shreyas Iyer | New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur |
| 8 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Riyan Parag | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| 9 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Rishabh Pant | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| 10 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Shubman Gill | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
IPL 2026 Auction Highlights
The TATA IPL 2026 mini-auction took place on December 16, 2025 at Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Each franchise had a total purse of ₹125 crore, with a combined spend of ₹215.45 crore across all 10 teams for 77 players (including 29 overseas).
Some of the most significant auction moments included:
- Cameron Green (KKR) became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history at ₹25.20 crore, surpassing Mitchell Starc’s ₹24.75 crore record from 2024
- Matheesha Pathirana (KKR) was secured for ₹18 crore, giving KKR one of the most dangerous pace attacks in the tournament
- Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma (CSK) both sold for ₹14.20 crore each — the joint-most expensive uncapped players in IPL history
- Rishabh Pant, bought by LSG for ₹27 crore at IPL 2025 auction, remains the overall most expensive player in IPL auction history
- Notable unsold players included Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, and Devon Conway
The retention system allowed teams to keep up to 6 players before the auction, with the first retention costing ₹18 crore from the purse. KKR had the largest remaining budget at ₹64.30 crore heading into auction day — and they made full use of it.
IPL 2026 Venues and Stadiums
The 2026 season spans across some of cricket’s most electrifying arenas. Bengaluru holds the additional honour of hosting both the opening match and the final, making M. Chinnaswamy Stadium the heartbeat of this entire tournament.
18 venues were initially proposed for IPL 2026, but the confirmed primary venues are the ones listed above. The use of Raipur as a secondary ground for RCB is a unique situation this season — stemming from a temporary event suspension at Chinnaswamy last year, though the venue has since been cleared by local authorities for the majority of matches.
| City | Stadium | Home Team |
|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| Raipur | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium | RCB (secondary) |
| Mumbai | Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai Indians |
| Chennai | M.A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai Super Kings |
| Kolkata | Eden Gardens | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Delhi | Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi Capitals |
| Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Stadium | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| Ahmedabad | Narendra Modi Stadium | Gujarat Titans |
| Jaipur | Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Rajasthan Royals |
| Lucknow | Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Mullanpur | PCA Stadium (New Chandigarh) | Punjab Kings |
How to Watch IPL 2026 Live
In India
Star Sports Network holds the official TV broadcast rights for IPL 2026. Coverage spans English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali commentary across dedicated channels. Tata Play, Airtel Digital TV, and Dish TV subscribers will find Star Sports in their sports packages.
JioHotstar (formed after the merger of JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar in 2025) is the official digital streaming platform. All 84 matches will stream live on JioHotstar. Unlike previous seasons, IPL 2026 will not be available for free — a paid subscription is required. Plans start from ₹149/month. Jio prepaid users can get JioHotstar access bundled with specific plans like the ₹299 plan (90-day subscription) or the ₹195 Cricket Data Pack.
| Country / Region | TV Broadcaster | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network | JioHotstar |
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports Cricket | Sky Go / NOW TV |
| United States | Willow TV | Willow TV App |
| Canada | ATN Cricket Plus | ATN Online |
| Australia | Fox Sports, Channel 7 | Kayo Sports |
| Middle East (MENA) | beIN Sports | beIN Connect |
| South Africa | SuperSport | DStv App |
| New Zealand | Sky NZ | Sky Sport Now / YuppTV |
| Caribbean | SportsMax | SportsMax App |
| Sri Lanka | SLRC Channel Eye | Dialog TV Go |
| 70+ countries | — | YuppTV |
Sky Sports signed a deal covering IPL rights in the UK through 2027, offering 4K Ultra HD coverage with Dolby Atmos. Non-subscribers can access via NOW TV with daily passes (£7.99) or monthly passes (£33.99).
Key Things That Make IPL 2026 Different
A few factors genuinely separate this edition from anything that came before it:
84 matches instead of 74. The expanded format means every team gets more game time, more opportunities to turn their season around, and more moments for fans to witness.
RCB as defending champions. After 18 years of heartbreak, RCB finally have the trophy. Coming in as title-holders with the home crowd behind them in match one — there is no bigger story heading into the tournament.
India on a T20 World Cup high. The announcement of IPL 2026’s start date came hours before India played the 2026 T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad. With India lifting that trophy too, the entire country heads into IPL season with momentum and passion at an all-time high.
The KKR rebuild. Kolkata Knight Riders came in with ₹64.30 crore in auction purse and completely reinvented their squad — bringing in Cameron Green, Matheesha Pathirana, and making this perhaps the most transformed unit in the whole competition.
The Impact Player rule stays. The controversial but fan-favourite Impact Player rule continues in IPL 2026, meaning teams can substitute one specialist player mid-innings. This keeps match totals high and strategies layered.
IPL 2026 Tickets
IPL 2026 tickets are expected to go live in phases, with BookMyShow already opening pre-sale registration for venues like Wankhede Stadium (window opens March 26). Tickets are also expected on Paytm Insider and official franchise portals.
One thing to be aware of: IPL 2026 tickets now attract a 40% GST rate following a GST restructure in September 2025 — placing IPL in India’s highest tax bracket. In practice, a ticket with a ₹1,000 base price will now cost around ₹1,400 at checkout.
Expected ticket price ranges:
- Budget seats: ₹450 to ₹850
- Mid-range seats: ₹900 to ₹3,000
- Premium seats: ₹4,000 to ₹18,000
- VIP / Box seats: ₹19,000 and above
These are estimated ranges. Final pricing will vary by venue and match. High-demand fixtures like the RCB opener, CSK home games, and the playoff matches will likely sell out fastest.
Brief Look at IPL 2025 and What Changed
IPL 2025 produced one of the tournament’s most memorable finals. RCB defeated Punjab Kings by just six runs to clinch their maiden title — ending an 18-year wait that had tested the patience and hearts of every Bangalore supporter. Sai Sudharsan was the batting standout with 759 runs across the season, while Prasidh Krishna led the bowling charts for Gujarat Titans with 25 wickets.
The defending champions KKR could not replicate their 2024 success and failed to make the playoffs. The season also featured a mid-tournament break in May due to political tensions, but the league recovered strongly and delivered a fitting conclusion.
Going into 2026, expect some teams to come out with a point to prove. KKR, in particular, have completely overhauled their squad after that disappointment.