The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to commence on March 28. Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru are set to play the opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Last year, Bengaluru had a fantastic campaign, finishing second on the points table at the end of the league phase. They defeated Punjab Kings in the final to lift their maiden IPL title.

Apart from RCB, a lot of teams have assembled strong squads ahead of the new season. Many experts believe that this could be one of the most competitive IPL seasons in a long time.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the schedule for only the first 20 matches of the IPL. Announcing the entire schedule at once would have almost surely forced a few games to clash with the assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam. The remaining schedule is expected to be announced at a later date.

IPL Points Table 2026 Rules

A victory will fetch two points, while a loss accounts for zero points accrued. In the event of a Draw, a point will be given to both the competing teams. Similarly, if a match is abandoned or cannot be concluded due to weather or external agents, both teams will secure one point each. In addition to points, the Net Run Rate will be taken in consideration for higher position on the table in case of equinumerous points among multiple teams. This metric becomes crucial as a tiebreaker in situations where two or more teams have the same number of points.