IPL 2026 Phase 1 Schedule: All 20 Fixtures, Dates and Venues

BCCI finally released the  IPL 2026 Phase 1 schedule this week and the first thing worth saying is whoever put this together clearly thought hard about the opening fortnight because it reads beautifully.

Twenty games. Sixteen days. March 28 to April 12. Ten cities across the country. And a defending champion getting to open the whole thing at home on a Saturday night. That’s your Phase 1 and it’s already more interesting than most people expected.

Before getting into the specifics there’s one thing worth flagging upfront. The complete schedule isn’t out yet. Three states have assembly elections falling inside the tournament window and BCCI have been straight about it: Phase 2 and beyond gets confirmed once the Election Commission announces poll dates. So everything from April 13 onwards is still pending. What we have right now is the opening block and honestly it’s enough to get seriously excited about.

All fixtures subject to change at BCCI’s discretion. Bengaluru matches are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka, with a stadium inspection scheduled for March 13.

Look at that opening weekend and tell me BCCI didn’t know exactly what they were doing. March 28 Saturday night: defending champions RCB at home against SRH at Chinnaswamy. Then 24 hours later MI versus KKR at Wankhede. Two of the most watched fixtures in the competition’s history happening back to back before the first week is even done.

The Chinnaswamy situation does have a small question mark hanging over it though. Those Bengaluru fixtures are currently waiting on formal clearance from the Expert Committee set up by the Karnataka government. They’re running a full inspection of the stadium on March 13, checking match-day readiness and doing a complete mock demonstration of arrangements. The expectation across the board is that clearance comes through. But it’s worth knowing that RCB’s home games sit conditional until the official green light arrives.

Assuming it all gets sorted and it really should, the first week rolls through every major cricket city in India without stopping. Guwahati on the Monday for RR hosting CSK, New Chandigarh on Tuesday for PBKS against GT, Lucknow Wednesday, Eden Gardens Thursday for KKR versus SRH, Chennai Friday for CSK and PBKS again. Seven games across seven consecutive days to open the season. Every single franchise gets at least one game under their belt before the first weekend double-headers arrive.

And about those double-headers. There are four of them: April 4, 5, 11 and 12. The one that deserves the most attention is April 4 evening. GT versus RR at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The largest cricket ground in the world hosting an IPL evening fixture under lights on a Saturday. That particular combination of venue and occasion is something that has to be experienced at least once and for anyone within reasonable travel distance of Ahmedabad this is the Phase 1 game to get tickets for.

RCB versus CSK the next evening in Bengaluru runs it close though. Two of the most emotionally invested fanbases in cricket history in the same stadium. Neutral fans do not really exist inside Chinnaswamy when CSK are the visiting side. It gets loud and it gets personal and it’s brilliant.

Guwahati deserves a proper mention here too because it’s genuinely one of the more interesting scheduling decisions BCCI made for Phase 1. Rajasthan Royals are using Barsapara as their early home base and their draw there is extraordinary: CSK on March 30, MI on April 7 and then RCB on April 10. Three of the biggest supported franchises in the competition visiting the northeast in eleven days. That’s not a token gesture towards regional cricket. That’s a real commitment and the Barsapara crowd is going to make each of those occasions feel significant.

Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh and LSG at Ekana in Lucknow follow the more familiar pattern of franchises playing in their established home conditions early. Both grounds suit their respective sides reasonably well and getting home games in the first week matters more than people credit when it comes to building early season confidence.

The Phase 1 closer on April 12 at the Wankhede is the fixture this whole opening block is building towards. MI versus RCB on a Sunday evening to end the phase. Defending champions on the road at one of the most atmospheric grounds in world cricket with Phase 1 standings fully on the line. That Sunday night in Mumbai is going to be something. Mark the date.

For anyone planning around Phase 2 and the back half of the tournament, hold tight for now. Once the Election Commission announces poll dates for those three affected states BCCI will release the complete picture. Book Phase 1 tickets with confidence. Everything else waits a little longer.

IPL 2026 is genuinely close. March 28 is the date. RCB and SRH get the whole thing started and from there the next sixteen days barely let you breathe.

Looking for IPL match predictions before every fixture? We’ve got you covered. From the opening night at Chinnaswamy to the Phase 1 closer at Wankhede, our IPL 2026 match prediction coverage breaks down pitch conditions, head-to-head records, team form and player matchups before every single game. Bookmark this page and check back before each match for the sharpest IPL match prediction tips of the season.