The IPL 2026 schedule announcement remains pending, but broadcasters have now confirmed that Season 19 of the tournament will get underway on March 28 exactly 20 days after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. A partial schedule is expected to be made public in the coming days.
Earlier reports had indicated that the IPL 2026 schedule could be unveiled before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Final between India and New Zealand, but no such announcement materialized ahead of the match’s start.
While broadcasters locked in March 28 as the opening date, this marks a slight revision from the tentative March 26 start date that the BCCI had floated during the IPL 2026 auction. Despite the scheduling uncertainty, all franchises have already launched pre-season camps. High-profile players including MS Dhoni, Shubman Gill, and Rohit Sharma have entered preparation mode even without a confirmed fixture list in hand.
🚨 Announcement 🚨
Get ready! #TATAIPL2026 is all set to start from the 28th of MARCH! pic.twitter.com/RF4Ixvo1J5— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 8, 2026
A key factor behind the scheduling delays has been election activity across several states. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam are all heading into polls, complicating venue planning for Chennai and Kolkata both permanent IPL venues. Guwahati in Assam, however, has been allocated three home games for the Rajasthan Royals.
Bengaluru’s situation had also been uncertain, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru have since confirmed that they will host five matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Additionally, two games are set to be held at the Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur.