IPL 2026 Schedule: Season Starts March 28, Final on May 31

According to sources, the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is anticipated to start on March 28 and conclude on May 31. At first, the competition was scheduled to begin on March 26. The competition is now scheduled to begin on March 28 after the start date was moved back by two days. The build-up for franchises and stakeholders before the upcoming season will be slightly altered, notwithstanding the small alteration.

On December 15, 2025, the day before the final auction, the IPL told the franchises that the 2026 season would begin on March 26. However, according to ESPNcricinfo, the IPL has internally decided to move the start date to March 28 and have the summit match on May 31.

IPL 2026 Schedule Update:

🚨 IPL 2026 WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 28 🚨

- Final on May 31st. [Espn Cricinfo] pic.twitter.com/X5v5viehZm

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 27, 2026

Next Monday, the IPL Governing Council will meet to formally approve the new dates. Official confirmation of the schedule, including the opening match and the ultimate location, is anticipated at the meeting. The revised schedule, if approved, will pave the way for two more months of high-profile Twenty20 play, with the final scheduled for May 31. After the Governing Council gives its approval, more information about the whole match schedule and locations will probably be released.

The calendar has been announced in two stages since the first IPL in 2008, when the nation held general elections in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024, or a state held assembly elections. It is anticipated that the GC will decide whether to follow the same path or to hold off until the Election Commission of India has announced the dates of the three states' elections.

Sources claim that because the dates for the Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu have not yet been decided, the publication of the schedule for the forthcoming season has been postponed. The Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings will play their home games in Kolkata and Chennai, respectively, while the Rajasthan Royals will most likely play their second home game in Guwahati, the capital of Assam.

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