NEW DELHI: Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host matches in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season, but there is a significant condition attached.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the schedule for the first phase of IPL 2026, which will run from March 28 to April 12. The 19th edition of the tournament will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Gautam Gambhir reflects on India’s World Cup win and Sanju Samson’s support in the tournament
However, matches scheduled at the iconic venue are subject to the approval of a government-appointed expert committee.“As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the polling dates are announced,” the BCCI said in a release.In the first phase, a total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues — Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.The BCCI also clarified that the matches in Bengaluru will be subject to final security clearance from the authorities.“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to approval from an expert committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a mock match day setup will be conducted to assess the stadium’s readiness to host IPL matches,” the BCCI said.During the first phase, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches starting at 3:30 PM IST and the evening matches starting at 7:30 PM IST.
IPL 2026: Schedule
MATCHDATEDAYTIMEVENUERCB vs SRH28-Mar-26satEveningBengaluruMI vs KKR29-Mar-26neEveningMumbaiRR vs CSK30-Mar-26MonEveningGuwahatiPBKS vs GT31-Mar-26TueEvening vMullanpurG DC1-Apr-26StEveningLucknowKKR vs SRH2-Apr-26ThuEveningKolkataCSK vs PBKS3-Apr-26FriEveningChennaiDC vs MI4-Apr-26SatAfternoonDelhiGT vs RR4-Apr-26SatE vs LSG5-Apr-26NoAfternoonHyderabadRCB vs CSK5-Apr-26NoEveningBengaluruKKR vs PBKS6-Apr-26MonEveningKolkataRR vs MI7-Apr-26TueEveningGuwahatiDC vs GTWD-Apr-KR LSG9-Apr-26ThuEveningKolkataRR vs RCB10-Apr-26FriEveningGuwahatiPBKS vs SRH11-Apr-26SatAfternoonMullanpurCSK vs DC11-Apr-26SatEveningChennaiLSG vs GT212-SunLuckMI RCB12-Apr-26evening MumbaiThe first doubleheader of the season is scheduled for April 4 when Delhi Capitals take on Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi in the afternoon followed by Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, hosting Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their first home matches at the PCA Stadium.As per the current schedule, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamsala, while Rajasthan Royals will split their home matches between Guwahati and Jaipur.However, the final confirmation for the matches in Bengaluru will depend on the outcome of the inspection and approval by the Karnataka Government’s Expert Committee.
