The BCCI confirmed the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule on March 11, giving fans their first proper look at how the new season will unfold. The opening stretch of fixtures runs from March 28 to April 12, with several big teams set to feature early. Naturally, attention immediately shifted to the IPL 2026 first match, which will see defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru begin the campaign at home in front of what should be a packed crowd.

First Look at The Fixtures

The initial announcement of the IPL 2026 schedule covers the first 20 matches of the tournament and includes four double-header days. Afternoon matches are slated to begin at 3:30 PM IST, while the evening games will start at the traditional 7:30 PM IST slot. The IPL 2026 first match is scheduled for March 28 in Bengaluru, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. As the defending champions, RCB opening the season at home feels quite fitting.

RCB vs SRH in Bengaluru to kick things off 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/xzTbT1fcK3

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 11, 2026

Across the first two weeks, ten venues will host matches, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Lucknow and Ahmedabad. Teams such as Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings will all begin their campaigns early in this opening phase.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬. 📅

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will eye to begin their title defence from March 28 in the Indian Premier League 2026
#IPL2026 I #RCB I #SchduleAnnouncement pic.twitter.com/sMB0xlu1cx

— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) March 11, 2026

Interestingly, the league has opted to release the IPL 2026 schedule in stages rather than all at once. The reason is fairly practical — several Indian states will hold Assembly elections during this period, and the remaining fixtures will only be confirmed once the polling dates are finalised.

🚨 News 🚨

Presenting the schedule for the first 20 matches of #TATAIPL 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026 🗓️

Full schedule will be announced once poll dates are announced for three states set to undergo State Assembly elections.

More details ▶️… pic.twitter.com/8Iq492v8TE

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 11, 2026

That means the IPL 2026 first match acts as the symbolic starting point of a season that will gradually reveal its full calendar over the coming weeks. For supporters, however, the early announcement is enough to start planning match days, trips to stadiums and the usual IPL rituals.

Early Season Storylines

Even with just the first part of the IPL 2026 schedule revealed, there are already plenty of interesting storylines. Mumbai Indians begin their season against Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede, while Chennai Super Kings travel to Guwahati to face Rajasthan Royals.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 ⏳@RCBTweets to take on @SunRisers in the season opener in Bengaluru ❤️🧡

Catch the first phase of #TATAIPL 2026 schedule on @StarSportsIndia and @JioHotstar 🙌 pic.twitter.com/L98erPcmTw

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 11, 2026

The early fixtures also include some heavyweight clashes. One particularly eye-catching game comes on April 5, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru meet Chennai Super Kings in what could easily become one of the biggest nights of the opening phase.

The IPL season is upon us 🤩

The first three fixtures of the latest calendar 🔥🗓️#IPL2026 pic.twitter.com/geYgeqDDwI

— Sport360° (@Sport360) March 11, 2026

But before all of that unfolds, everything begins with the IPL 2026 first match in Bengaluru — the moment the floodlights come on, the crowd roars, and another IPL season officially gets underway.

IPL 2026 First Phase Schedule