There will be a delay in the start of IPL 2026, now the tournament will start on this day instead of March 26.

IPL 2026 Starting Date: The start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season may be delayed by two days. Earlier, the franchises were informed that the tournament would start from March 26. Now new reports are suggesting March 28 or 29 as the possible new date. According to a report, the start of the season from March 28 is considered almost certain. However, till now no official announcement has been made by the board in this regard.

During the auction held in Abu Dhabi in December, the franchises were informed about the window from March 26 to May 31. According to sources, there may be a change in the starting date, but it is not likely to affect the final date. The franchises have not received any formal communication yet, although informal discussions have revealed slight delays.

There may be delay due to assembly elections

This time, a major reason for the delay in the schedule is being said to be the assembly elections to be held in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and West Bengal. Cities like Kolkata and Chennai, where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) play their home matches respectively, could be affected by the election schedule. Guwahati, the capital of Assam, which is the second home ground of Rajasthan Royals, may also be affected by election activities there.

Schedule may be announced soon

According to reports, the original plan of the board was to release the complete schedule after the announcement of election dates. However, due to shortage of time and demand for clarity by the franchises, a partial schedule can now be released earlier. A similar model was adopted during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Where will the opening match take place?

The situation regarding hosting the opening match of the season is also not clear. As per tradition, the defending champion hosts the first match, but this time there are reports of a dispute between the franchises, Karnataka State Cricket Association and the state government over the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Also read: Lucknow Super Giants made a big change before IPL 2026, launched a new jersey after the LOGO.

Most of the important decisions are expected to be officially approved after the IPL Governing Council meeting next week. Meanwhile, the board has also discussed the pre-season promotional strategy with the broadcaster and all the 10 franchises to further strengthen fan engagement ahead of the tournament.