IPL 2026: Starting Date Announced By BCCI – Everything You Need To Know

The upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season will formally kick off on March 28, broadcaster Star Sports confirmed on Sunday. The official announcement got here forward of the India vs New Zealand ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 ultimate on the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. It is to be famous that the fixtures of the IPL 2026 version are but to be introduced by the IPL. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are the defending champions. The Bengaluru-based franchise defeated Punjab Kings within the 2025 version summit conflict by six runs in Ahmedabad.

Earlier this month, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary, Santosh Menon, confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host 5 of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 residence video games. He has additionally confirmed that the venue will host the IPL 2026 ultimate, together with one of many play-off matches within the match.

Notably, RCB’s remaining two residence matches of their IPL 2026 marketing campaign will probably be held on the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

RCB, in an announcement on Tuesday, mentioned, “RCB extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of Karnataka, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and the Karnataka Police for their unwavering guidance, cooperation and support in facilitating the hosting of matches in Bengaluru. The collective efforts to ramp up infrastructure and safety measures in time for the IPL season have ensured that the defending champions will play the majority of their home games on their home ground,” an announcement acknowledged.

Rajesh Menon, CEO, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, mentioned, “The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is more than just our home ground; it is where our identity as a team truly comes alive. The energy our fans bring to Bengaluru has always been a driving force for our players, inspiring them through every phase of the game. Our fans have stood by us unconditionally, and they deserve the opportunity to watch their team compete at home.”

“After detailed discussions and completing the necessary due process around permissions, we are pleased to confirm that RCB will play five matches in Bengaluru. We sincerely thank the Government of Karnataka, the KSCA, and the Karnataka Police for their support in making this possible,” Menon mentioned.

Cricket on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has been suspended since June final yr after 11 folks died and several other have been injured in a stampede throughout Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2025 title celebration.