Today, March 28, Google released an interactive holiday logo to mark the start of IPL 2026 – one of the most anticipated and celebrated cricket tournaments of the season. The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will start today.
The description along with the festive logo reads: “This festive logo marks the start of the 2026 Indian Premier League T20 cricket season. Over the next two months, 10 teams will compete across India to crown the new champion. Good luck to all the teams!”
Google secures partnership with BCCI for IPL 2026
This animated doodle shows a mini cricket pitch with bat and ball. Clicking on an artwork opens a dedicated search engine portal, offering viewers deeper insights and real-time analysis.
It is important to note that Google has secured a partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for IPL 2026. This collaboration with Google promises a more engaging and immersive viewing experience for cricket fans through AI technology. Google Search will enhance fan engagement by providing real-time stats and an interactive cricket experience.
Going beyond conventional live scores and standard commentary, Google’s dedicated search portal will provide real-time match updates and comprehensive tournament statistics for the 10 competing franchises. in an exclusive deal with JioStar, Google is the co-presenting sponsor of IPL 2026 on television and digital.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The final match scheduled for May 31, 2026 will also be held at the same venue. This year, IPL 2026 will have a total of 84 matches instead of 74, including the knockout stages, making it the biggest season yet. Day matches start at 15:30 IST while evening matches start at 19:30 IST.
Last year, RCB claimed the coveted title for the first time by defeating Punjab Kings.
Sunrisers Hyderabad team: Pat Cummins (captain), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Arsari, S Kubakieshan Hussain, Onkar Tarmale, Amit Kumar, Praful Hinge, Krains Fuletra, Liam Livingstone, Shivam Mavi, Jack Edwards.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru team: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thenhara, Rasikh Sharam, Ivash Sharam, Sudan Sharam, Ishyma Abhinan Duffy, Satvik Deswal, Mangesh Yadav, Jordan Cox, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Kanishk Chouhan.
Social media reaction to the doodle
In response to the festive logo, a user wrote: “Today’s @Google doodle is dedicated to the IPL.”
Another comment read: “As IPL comes in Google Doodle, will PSL also work?”
