 "IPL 2026 is scheduled to start on March 28. Image: BCCI")
The start of the Indian Premier League 2026 season has been slightly delayed. IPL’s official broadcaster Star Sports confirmed that the tournament will now begin on March 28, instead of the earlier reported date of March 26. The confirmation came ahead of the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between India and New Zealand on Sunday.
Why the IPL 2026 has been delayed?
Earlier, there were reports suggesting that the start of the IPL 2026 season could be delayed, but there was no official announcement at that time. With the latest update from Star Sports, it is now clear that the tournament will start two days later than expected. The full schedule of IPL 2026 is expected to be released on Monday, March 9, a day after the T20 World Cup 2026 final.
According to an earlier report by Sportstar, the schedule could be revealed in two phases. This is mainly due to assembly elections taking place in several states across India. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed in the report that the schedule will be announced as soon as the poll dates are out. Because of security and logistical arrangements, the organisers may announce the fixtures in phases.
As per IPL tradition, the opening match of the new season is usually played at the home ground of the defending champions. This means the first game of IPL 2026 is likely to take place at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. There were doubts regarding holding matches at the venue due to the stampede that killed 11 fans last year, but the stadium has received clearance from the state government to hold five matches.