2026 IPL Individual Team Fixtures & Full Match Schedule
2026 IPL Fixtures & Schedule: A Quick Guide for Indian Cricket Lovers
Introduction
IPL is no longer just a cricketing event but a festive period that is awaited by cricket fans in India every year from April to May. The 2026 season is all set to bring in more of the high-voltage drama, a galaxy of superstars, and a plethora of outstanding cricketing action. This article is written specially for the cricket fans in India who will be looking for a simple, quick, and easy-to-understand guide to the 2026 IPL schedule, important dates, venue information, and much more.
- 2026 Season Overview
League Stage: 1st April 2026, 70 matches, Each team plays 14 matches (Home & Away) Playoffs: 24th May 2026, 4 matches, Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 Final: 30th May 2026, 1 match, Final match of the season
Match Time: All matches will be played at 7:30 PM IST (Prime Time) except a few double-header days when the first match will be played at 2:00 PM IST
Time Zone: All times are mentioned in Indian Standard Time (IST) for the convenience of Indian cricket fans
- Important Dates
1st April 2026: Opening Game, Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
15th April 2026: 1st Weekend Double-Header, KKR vs RR at Eden Gardens and SRH vs DC at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad
8th May 2026: Mid-Season Top of the Table Clash, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru (Top 4 teams)
22nd May 2026: Last Day of League Stage, All teams play their respective last league stage match of the season simultaneously (Important for playoffs)
24th May 2026: Qualifier 1, 1st placed team vs 2nd placed team (Direct entry into the final)
25th May 2026: Eliminator, 3rd placed team vs 4th placed team (Do or Die encounter)
27th May 2026: Qualifier 2, Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator (Final spot)
30th May 2026: IPL 2026 Final, The final match of the season will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
- Must Watch Fixtures for Each Team
Following is the list of must-watch fixtures for each franchise in the league stage:
Mumbai Indians (MI):
Opening game of the season against CSK
Home game against RCB at Wankhede
Last home game of the season against KKR
- CSK
First match against Mumbai Indians, their arch-rivals
Mid-season game vs. SRH, two of the oldest squads in the league
Second last league stage game vs. DC to keep their playoff chances alive
- RCB
Match against KKR at M. Chinnaswamy stadium, two of the best power-packed top-orders
Match against MI at Wankhede, because 6 fest
Last league game of the season vs. SRH, to test out the bowling options
- KKR
Match against RCB at Eden Gardens, 6 fest alert
Match against DC at Eden Gardens, to ensure a top-4 spot
Rest of the teams follow the same pattern, one can check the official schedule of the 2026 IPL to find out the exact dates and venues. All of the information gathered from various sources. If you have any doubts kindly comment below.
- Venues: The battlefield
Mumbai: Wankhede stadium, 33,000, The stadium where most of the finals have been played, the sea-breeze add to the drama of the game.
Chennai: M. Chinnaswamy stadium, 40,000, The stadium is known for it’s hard and flat pitches, ideal for batting.
Kolkata: Eden Gardens, 68,000, The largest stadium in the IPL, the roar of the crowd is deafening.
Hyderabad: Rajiv Gandhi international cricket stadium, 55,000, The stadium is ideal for night games, with the flood lights on, perfect for some fire-works.
Delhi: Arun Jaitley stadium, 41,000, The home ground of the Delhi capitals, the pitch has a decent amount of bounce.
Ahmedabad: Sardar Patel stadium (Motera), 1,10,000, The largest cricket stadium in the world, a stadium every fan must visit.
Jaipur: Sawai Man Singh stadium, 30,000, The stadium is known for it’s turning tracks, ideal for night games.
Bengaluru: M. Chinnaswamy stadium, 40,000, The stadium is at a high altitude, ideal for power hitters.
Punjab: IS Bindra stadium, Mohali, 26,000, The stadium is known for it’s swinging conditions.
- Watching the IPL: TV and Online
Star Sports network: The official broadcasters of the game, Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2 and Star Sports 3 (HD), The channels are available on all major DTH and local cable networks.
Disney+ Hotstar: Official online streaming partner, the entire tournament will be live-streamed along with on-demand content, Users need to subscribe to the Hotstar premium plan (INR 299 a month or the annual plan) to watch the content.
JioTV and Airtel Xstream: The two networks will be streaming the game live for their users, Users with an active connection can watch the game for free.
YouTube (IPL channel): The official YouTube channel will have all the highlights, analysis, etc., The content is free to watch.
The users can download the official IPL 2026 app (on android and iOS), to get real-time scores, notifications about the ticket availability and much more exciting content. All of the information gathered from various sources. If you have any doubts kindly comment below.
Social Media: Follow @IPL on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to watch live clips, player interviews, and fan contests.