BCCI Sets Major Condition For Virat Kohli's RCB To Return To Bengaluru For IPL 2026
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the 'first phase' schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026
- RCB will play five IPL 2026 home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur, venue clearance pending
- "Matches in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from Expert Committee by Karnataka Government," the BCCI said
- Full IPL 2026 schedule depends on state election dates in three states
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday announced the 'first phase' schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The 19th edition of the league will start with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, there seems to be a catch regarding the venue of the opening match. It has a lot to do with the stampede that happened in Bengaluru during RCB's victory parade in 2025.
During the 2026 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are scheduled to play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. However, the matches to be held in Bengaluru are not cleared yet.
"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," a BCCI release stated.
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.
A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.
During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST. Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru