The Indian Premier League 2026 is here, bringing another season of fast-paced T20 cricket, packed venues, and high-profile clashes between the biggest franchises in the tournament. This is the 19th edition of the IPL, with the season beginning on March 28, 2026. The league stage is being played in phases, with the opening fixture featuring Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Official IPL and Reuters coverage also confirm that the 2026 season runs from March 28 to May 31, 2026, with matches scheduled mainly at 3:30 PM IST and 7:30 PM IST.
For fans, IPL 2026 is more than just a tournament. It is a daily cricket festival filled with rivalry games, marquee players, and must-watch evening encounters. From MI vs KKR to RCB vs CSK, the early schedule already offers a strong mix of weekend blockbusters and prime-time contests. The official IPL website published the first phase schedule earlier in March, and the second phase announcement completed the remaining league fixtures.
IPL 2026 Schedule
Below is a clean schedule table for the opening set of IPL 2026 matches you shared:
| Match | Date | Teams | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 28, Sat | RCB vs SRH | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 2 | Mar 29, Sun | MI vs KKR | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| 3 | Mar 30, Mon | RR vs CSK | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 4 | Mar 31, Tue | PBKS vs GT | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mullanpur | 7:30 PM |
| 5 | Apr 1, Wed | LSG vs DC | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| 6 | Apr 2, Thu | KKR vs SRH | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 7 | Apr 3, Fri | CSK vs PBKS | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 8 | Apr 4, Sat | DC vs MI | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 3:30 PM |
| 9 | Apr 4, Sat | GT vs RR | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| 10 | Apr 5, Sun | SRH vs LSG | Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad | 3:30 PM |
| 11 | Apr 5, Sun | RCB vs CSK | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| 12 | Apr 6, Mon | KKR vs PBKS | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 13 | Apr 7, Tue | RR vs MI | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 14 | Apr 8, Wed | DC vs GT | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| 15 | Apr 9, Thu | KKR vs LSG | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 7:30 PM |
| 16 | Apr 10, Fri | RR vs RCB | Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| 17 | Apr 11, Sat | PBKS vs SRH | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium, Mullanpur | 3:30 PM |
| 18 | Apr 11, Sat | CSK vs DC | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 7:30 PM |
| 19 | Apr 12, Sun | LSG vs GT | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 3:30 PM |
| 20 | Apr 12, Sun | MI vs RCB | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
IPL 2026 Official Broadcasting Channels
Watching IPL live is just as important as following the points table. In India, the official TV and streaming coverage is under the JioStar network, with Star Sports on television and JioHotstar for digital streaming. JioHotstar’s sports pages are actively promoting IPL 2026 coverage, while reporting around the tournament identifies JioStar as the official broadcast and digital partner.
| Region | TV Broadcaster | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports | JioHotstar |
| United States (USA) | Willow TV | Willow TV App |
| United Kingdom (UK) | Sky Sports Cricket | Sky Go / NOW |
| Australia | Fox Sports | Kayo Sports |
Why IPL 2026 Will Be Huge
The new season already has all the ingredients needed for a memorable campaign: packed stadiums, elite overseas stars, Indian superstars, and franchise rivalries that keep viewers engaged every week. With official fixtures now live on the IPL website and streaming support in major regions, fans can plan their watchlist well in advance.
If you are publishing cricket content, this topic has strong search demand because users are actively looking for the IPL 2026 match schedule, today’s IPL fixture, and official live stream channels. A well-structured guide with updated tables and viewer information makes the page more useful, easier to scan, and more likely to perform well in search.