IPL 2026 likely from March 26 to May 31 after T20 World Cup

The IPL 2026 is all set to take place from March 26 to May 31, as reported by Sportstar. According to the report, the tournament is scheduled after the completion of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The final of the upcoming World Cup is scheduled to take place on March 8 in Ahmedabad.

Hence, a break of two weeks will follow, after which the IPL is expected to begin on March 26, 2026. During those two weeks, Indian and international players will get much-needed time to return to their IPL franchise commitments from national duties. From a workload management and logistical perspective as well, this break will be beneficial. However, official confirmation regarding the schedule is still awaited.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is also scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3. As a result, the PSL will overlap with the IPL. This will be the second consecutive year that both leagues overlap, which could create competition for players and viewership.

The IPL 2026 mini-auction took place in Abu Dhabi

Earlier, on December 16, 2025, the IPL 2026 mini-auction took place in Abu Dhabi. All teams added several big names, along with a few surprising uncapped Indian players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) acquired Australia all-rounder Cameron Green for a massive INR 25.20 crore and Sri Lanka’s young pacer Matheesha Pathirana for INR 18 crore. Green also became the most expensive overseas player in IPL history.

However, some of the most heart-warming stories involved two uncapped Indian players. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bought Uttar Pradesh’s Prashant Veer and Rajasthan wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma for INR 14.20 crore each, making them the most expensive uncapped players in IPL history.

Despite these big buys, a few expected names did not attract bidding wars. Notably, Australia’s premium batter Steve Smith did not come up for auction despite being listed, as no franchises showed interest during the accelerated rounds.

However, all eyes will be on the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), on how will be their approach while defending their title, which they won in 2025, their maiden IPL title.

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