IPL 2026 to start on March 28, final scheduled for May 31

Amid the 2026 T20 World Cup, cricket enthusiasts are waiting for another exciting season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Published - 27 Feb 2026, 19:03 IST | Updated - 27 Feb 2026, 19:24 IST

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Amid the 2026 T20 World Cup, cricket enthusiasts are waiting for another exciting season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The upcoming edition of the 10-team tournament is set to begin on March 28, two days after the initial start date planned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The IPL had informed the franchises on December 15 2025, a day before the last auction, that the 2026 edition would start on March 26, but as per ESPNcricinfo, the IPL has internally decided to postpone the start date to March 28, and have the summit clash on May 31.

It is understood that the IPL Governing Council has a meeting scheduled for next week to finalise the plan for releasing the fixtures, which has been deferred because the dates for assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have not been declared so far. While Kolkata (in West Bengal) and Chennai (in Tamil Nadu) are the home bases for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) respectively, Assam's capital, Guwahati, is the second venue for Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, when the country has had its general elections - in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 - or a state has had its assembly elections, the schedule has been announced in two phases. The GC is expected to take the call on whether to take the same route or wait for the Election Commission of India to announce the poll dates for the three states first.

The IPL Governing Council is also expected to discuss the venue for the curtain raiser, as it will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the aftermath of the stampede during RCB's victory celebrations at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium last June, which resulted in the death of 11 fans, RCB has been involved in consultations with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), trying to figure out whether the team's seven home games would be organised at the iconic stadium or moved elsewhere.

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