The IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026 season will start on March 28 because the league has postponed its original date which was set for March 26. The final match of the tournament will take place on May 31 according to official scheduling. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) previously informed franchises that the tournament would begin on March 26 according to their earlier announcement.
The election schedule for assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu needs to be confirmed before the new dates can be established. The IPL governing council will meet next week according to an ESPNcricinfo report to finalize the tournament schedule.
The IPL has followed the pattern of announcing its tournament schedule in two parts since 2008 because the country experienced general elections in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 and state assembly elections occurred during that time. The governing council will meet to determine their action plan for upcoming events which includes waiting to receive poll dates from the Election Commission of India before proceeding with their schedule.
The governing council will have a meeting to plan the opening match of the new season. Another major point of discussion in the upcoming governing council meeting will be the season opener of the upcoming IPL campaign. The season opener between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the defending champions has become a topic for discussion.
The location of the RCB clash will be determined after officials discuss the stampede incident. The franchise has been involved in discussions with the Karnataka State Cricket Association on whether the team’s seven home matches would be played at the venue or be moved somewhere else.