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3 min readMar 11, 2026 08:15 PM IST
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during IPL match vs Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. (Sportzpics)
Reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will play the opening game of the 2026 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 in the fixture list released on Wednesday.
The schedule said that the opening game would take place in Bengaluru. However, the league clarified that matches allocated to the city remain subject to clearance from an ‘Expert Committee’ constituted by the Karnataka government.
“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches,” the IPL said in a statement released on Wednesday.
IPL 2026 First Phase Schedule: Check Here
If the clearance is granted following the inspection, RCB will play five of their home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the IPL 2026 season. The franchise will also host two additional home matches at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Stadium in Raipur.
RR to start in Guwahati
A few other franchises are also set to have two stadiums as their home venues this season. 2025 runners-up Punjab Kings are scheduled to play four of their home matches in New Chandigarh, which has served as their primary base for the last two seasons. The remaining three home fixtures will be staged in Dharamshala.
Rajasthan Royals will also divide their home matches between two venues. The Royals are set to play three of their home fixtures in Guwahati, which has functioned as the franchise’s secondary home ground in recent years. Their remaining four home matches will take place in Jaipur.
“Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings (PBKS), meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh,” the statement said.
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The schedule was released only till April 12, as the league also indicated that the full schedule of the tournament will be released at a later stage. This was primarily because three states are scheduled to undergo assembly elections during the period when the tournament is expected to take place.
“As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced,” the statement added.
The first double header of the 2026 season will take place on April 4, where Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in the afternoon game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, while Gujarat Titans will take on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad in the evening match.
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