Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced that fans can expect the schedule for the first 20 days of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) edition to be unveiled in the next two to three days. This timing takes into account the election dates in several states.
The IPL 2026 is set to commence on March 28, as confirmed by official broadcaster Star Sports on Sunday. In a conversation with ANI, Saikia stated, “We will release the initial 20-day schedule for IPL within 2 or 3 days, considering the election dates in certain states, with the complete tournament schedule to follow later.”
The announcement will be made in two phases, coinciding with state assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
In the last edition, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured the championship by defeating the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Earlier this month, Santosh Menon, Secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host five of RCB’s home games for IPL 2026. Additionally, the venue will feature one of the playoff matches as well as the final showdown of the tournament.
The remaining two home matches for Bengaluru will occur at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Notably, cricket at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been on hold since June of last year. Following RCB’s victory, a massive crowd gathered outside the stadium, leading to a tragic stampede that resulted in 11 fatalities and numerous injuries.
This iconic venue did not host any matches during the ICC Women’s World Cup or the recent Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Furthermore, various domestic and state tournaments have also faced disruptions due to the ongoing suspension of activities at the stadium.
In a related highlight, Team India recently triumphed in the Men’s T20 World Cup, defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This victory marked India’s third T20 World Cup title, making them the first team to achieve this milestone in the tournament’s history.
(With ANI Inputs)