Big change in the dates of IPL 2026, now the 19th season will start on this date…RCB will play the opening match

Sports : The excitement of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 has now reached its final stage and on March 8, the whole world will get a new champion. Although. The 19th season of IPL is now becoming the center of real excitement for cricket lovers. BCCI has recently made a sudden change in the dates of the tournament and decided to start it from March 28. However, the final will be held on May 31 only. But the delay in the schedule has increased the concern of the franchise.

sudden change in dates

BCCI has now fully geared up to give a new direction to its preparations. When the players auction was held in Abu Dhabi in December 2025. Then everyone thought that from March 26, it would start raining fours and sixes on the field. But the board has now strategically decided to delay it by two days. A recent report from ESPN-Cricinfo suggests that the IPL Governing Council will hold a detailed meeting next week to formalize the delay.

Shadow on election schedule

The main reason behind BCCI not announcing the complete program yet is believed to be the upcoming assembly elections to be held in four states. Tamil Nadu. West Bengal. Elections are to be held in Assam and Kerala and their dates have not been announced yet. Chennai. Major cities like Kolkata and Guwahati are important centers of IPL. The Indian Board is currently eagerly waiting for the official announcement of the Election Commission so that there is no hindrance of any kind in the security and logistics arrangements.

Increasing pressure of franchise

There is very little time left for the tournament to start. In such a situation, all the teams and franchises are putting pressure on BCCI to release the complete schedule as soon as possible. His argument is that without a fixed schedule, he is not able to maintain proper coordination with his training camp and sponsors. The board is currently seriously considering the option that the schedule of the first few important matches should be released first and the rest of the schedule should come after the election dates.

Crisis looming on the first match

according to tradition. Only the defending champion team hosts the first match of the season and gets a chance to play in front of its home crowd. Last year, Royal Challengers Bangalore had created history by winning the title. But their home ground M Chinnaswamy Stadium is currently under cloud of crisis. The deadly stampede outside the stadium after last year’s victory had exposed the security arrangements. Due to which there is currently a strict ban on organizing matches and cricket there.

Important meeting of the Governing Council

Many important and tough decisions are expected to be taken in the IPL Governing Council meeting to be held next week. The most important topic in this will be the selection of the venue for the first match and a thorough review of the security standards. If the match is not possible in Bengaluru due to security reasons. So the board will have to look for some other alternative ground. The sole objective of the Board is to provide the same old thrill and excitement of cricket to the fans in a safe environment immediately after the World Cup.