BCCI released the schedule of first 16 days of IPL 2026, RCB and SRH face to face in the opener.

New Delhi: Once again there is good news for cricket lovers. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the official schedule for the first 16 days of IPL 2026. This season will witness historic changes and the return of key players. The inaugural match will be played between Virat Kohli and Sunrisers Hyderabad under the captaincy of defending champion RCB at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. This schedule, due to the elections, appears balanced.

The most prominent news of this season is the return of big names like Virat Kohli and Pat Cummins to competitive cricket. Kohli last featured in the ODI series against New Zealand, while Pat Cummins will be seen on the field for the first time since the Ashes Test in December 2025. The second match of the tournament will be played on March 29 between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede Stadium. No double-header matches have been scheduled in the initial two days, keeping the excitement alive.

CSK’s new look and Sanju’s debut

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) campaign will begin on March 30 against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. This time fans will not get to see MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja together, as Jadeja was included in Rajasthan Royals last year. At the same time, Sanju Samson will be seen playing in the yellow jersey of CSK for the first time.

Other major contests and marquee matches

As per the schedule, last year’s finalists Punjab Kings will face Gujarat Titans on March 31 in Mullanpur. The first match of Lucknow Super Giants will be with Delhi Capitals on 1 April. The two most talked about matches of this season, ‘RCB vs CSK’ will be played on 5th April and ‘Mumbai Indians vs RCB’ on 12th April. There are only four days in the first 16-day schedule when two matches (double-headers) will be played on the same day.

Program delayed due to elections

The IPL Governing Council said that there was a delay in fixing the schedule due to the assembly elections to be held in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam. Currently, only the first 16 days are available so that security and administrative arrangements are in place. The schedule of the remaining matches will be released after the announcement of voting dates by the Election Commission. The board is closely monitoring the situation and will share detailed information about other matches soon.