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Indian Premier League 2026: Complete Guide – Schedule, Teams, Playoffs, Stats & All Match Details
The Indian Premier League 2026 is bigger, bolder and better than ever. The 19th season of the globe’s biggest T20 cricket league – in such a full stadium across India, dubbed as TATA IPL 2026 for sponsorship reasons– opened on 28 March, and culminates with the final on May 31, 2026. There are so many reasons why the Indian Premier League 2026 will be cricket’s hottest event of the year: 10 teams, 74 matches, 13 venues and a history-chasing defending champion in Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Be it a hardcore fan or a new watcher of the tournament, this is everything you need to know about IPL 2026.
Tournament Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Tournament | TATA Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Edition | 19th (IPL 19) |
| Organiser | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| Start Date | March 28, 2026 |
| Final Date | May 31, 2026 |
| Teams | 10 |
| Total Matches | 74 |
| Defending Champions | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) |
| Opening Match Venue | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Final Venue | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
| Format | Twenty20 (T20) |
| Broadcasting | Star Sports / JioHotstar |
Details of the 2026 Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL) hardly needs an introduction. Started in 2008 by the BCCI, it blossomed into the most lucrative, highest-viewed T20 league on Earth – pulling cricket’s best players across the continents and providing nail-biting cricket to hundreds and millions of spectators throughout India and beyond.
This incredible success story will soon reach its 19th chapter – The Indian Premier League 2026. Both matches are played on the same day, also in Ahmedabad, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru being the defending champions after beating Punjab Kings in the final to claim their first IPL title in 2025. At the moment, 9 other franchises are after them, led by Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Gujarat Titans to take their crown.
The league stage of IPL 2026 is structured around a group format. The ten teams are divided into two groups of five, with each team playing home and away against teams in one group and one game against the other five teams. This means that every franchise will play 14 of these league matches, and the top four will qualify for the playoffs.
IPL 2026 Teams
The Indian Premier League 2026 features the same 10 franchises as the previous season, each representing a city or region of India.
| Team | Short Name | Home Ground | IPL Titles |
| Chennai Super Kings | CSK | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | 5 |
| Mumbai Indians | MI | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 5 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | RCB | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 1 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | KKR | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 3 |
| Rajasthan Royals | RR | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | 1 |
| Gujarat Titans | GT | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 2 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | SRH | Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad | 1 |
| Delhi Capitals | DC | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 0 |
| Punjab Kings | PBKS | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali | 0 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | LSG | BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow | 0 |
IPL 2026 Group Stage Format
In the group stage of Indian Premier League 2026 all 10 teams are split into two groups of five. Every team plays the other four sides in its group once and the five teams from the opposing groups twice each, resulting in 14 league matches per team.
Group A
| # | Team |
| 1 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) |
| 2 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) |
| 3 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) |
| 4 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) |
| 5 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) |
Group B
| # | Team |
| 1 | Gujarat Titans (GT) |
| 2 | Mumbai Indians (MI) |
| 3 | Delhi Capitals (DC) |
| 4 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) |
| 5 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) |
After 70 league matches, the top four teams on the overall points table qualify for the playoffs.
IPL 2026 Venues
The Indian Premier League 2026 is being played across 13 venues spread across India, making it one of the most geographically diverse editions in the tournament’s history.
| Venue | City | Primary Team |
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | RCB |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | MI |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | KKR |
| MA Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | CSK |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | GT (Final) |
| Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium | Hyderabad | SRH |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | RR |
| IS Bindra Stadium | Mohali | PBKS |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | DC |
| BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | LSG |
| HPCA Cricket Stadium | Dharamshala | PBKS / Playoff Q1 |
| Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium | New Chandigarh | RR / Playoff Elim & Q2 |
| Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium | Raipur | RCB (secondary) |
IPL 2026 Playoffs Schedule
The playoff knockout rounds will played between the four best teams topping the Indian Premier League 2026 points table after a dramatic league stage. The BCCA announces the playoff venues on May 06, 2026
| Match | Stage | Date | Venue |
| Match 71 | Qualifier 1 (1st vs 2nd) | May 26, 2026 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala |
| Match 72 | Eliminator (3rd vs 4th) | May 27, 2026 | MYS Stadium, New Chandigarh |
| Match 73 | Qualifier 2 | May 29, 2026 | MYS Stadium, New Chandigarh |
| Match 74 | FINAL | May 31, 2026 | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket stadium in the world becomes IPL 2026 Final, set to be played at Ahmedabad which would mark its fourth final at the venue after 2022, 2023 & 2025 finals.
Highlights of the Season So Far
Ever since the first ball was bowled, Indian Premier League 2026 has thrown up jaw-dropping cricket. Here are a few of the key talking points:
- RCB make a winning start- Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru started their title defence with a 6-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on March 28.
- Mumbai Indians dominated KKR– MI overhauled Kolkata Knight Riders’ total of 220 in the very next match on March 29 at Wankhede, winning by 6 wickets with 5 balls to spare.
- Record-setting auction purchase for Cameron Green- ₹25.20 crore bid by Kolkata Knight Riders makes Green the most expensive overseas player in IPL history
- Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma- Two Uncapped Players Became Joint Highest Unsold at the Auction & Were Taken by Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 Crore Each
- Sunil Narine’s 200th IPL match- The veteran all-rounder achieved another personal milestone during the season.
- Milestone of captaining in 100 IPL matches- Shreyas Iyer, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer appeared as a captain in 100 IPL matches something only a handful have done.
IPL 2026 Orange Cap – Top Run Scorers
The Indian Premier League 2026 is a great battle for the Orange Cap as many international class batters are scoring big.
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs | Matches |
| 1 | Sai Sudharsan | Gujarat Titans | 554 | 13 |
| 2 | Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 552 | 13 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | RCB | 542 | 13 |
| 4 | KL Rahul | Delhi Capitals | 533 | 13 |
| 5 | Heinrich Klaasen | SRH | 508 | 13 |
IPL 2026 Purple Cap – Top Wicket Takers
The Purple Cap race in IPL 2026 has been equally fierce, with pacers dominating the bowling charts.
| Rank | Player | Team | Wickets | Matches |
| 1 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB | 24 | 13 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada | Gujarat Titans | 21 | 12 |
| 3 | Anshul Kamboj | Chennai Super Kings | 19 | 13 |
| 4 | Jofra Archer | Rajasthan Royals | 17 | 13 |
| 5 | Prince Yadav | LSG | 16 | 13 |
IPL Winners – All-Time Champions List
The Indian Premier League has produced some legendary champions since its first edition in 2008. Here is the complete list of IPL title winners.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Final Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | DY Patil Stadium |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Wanderers, Johannesburg |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | DY Patil Stadium |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Eden Gardens |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kings XI Punjab | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Eden Gardens |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians | Rising Pune Supergiant | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Wankhede Stadium |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals | Dubai International Stadium |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | Dubai International Stadium |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| 2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Gujarat Titans | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| 2024 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunrisers Hyderabad | MA Chidambaram Stadium |
| 2025 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Punjab Kings | Narendra Modi Stadium |
| 2026 | ? | ? | Narendra Modi Stadium |
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are the most successful franchises in IPL history, each having won the title five times.
Why IPL 2026 Is Extra Special
- Defending champions RCB are making history- will they now become the second side to retain the IPL title?
- Amazing auction prices- Cameron Green’s £2.5 million (₹25.20 crore) signing established a record for overseas players
- 19th edition milestone- almost two decades of the finest T20 league on this planet
- World’s biggest cricket final- the title decider for the fourth time to be hosted by Narendra Modi Stadium
- Reversed Group Format- New rivalries breathed life into groups as the match-ups got even more engrossing.
- Disruption of broadcasting- IPL 2026 reaches hundreds of millions in digital form via JioHotstar in India.
Also Read: Umesh Yadav
How to Watch IPL 2026
Two major platforms in India are currently airing the Indian Premier League 2026. All matches will be available live on TV on the Star Sports Network in various language feeds, while online and mobile streaming is also being made available at JioHotstar. International fans outside India can check out the official Star Sports international network or their local licensed broadcasters.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When was IPL 2026 start?
Started March 28, 2026, the first match of Indian Premier League 2026 was held in Bengaluru (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium) between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad
2. When is the IPL 2026 Final?
The IPL 2026 Final will take place on May 31, 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the largest cricket stadium in the world.
3. Who are the champions of IPL 2026?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be reigning champions after last year winning their maiden IPL title in 2025 with victory over Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad final.
4. How many teams are there in IPL 2026?
In this season there are total 10 teams including CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, RR, GT, SRH, DC, PBKS and LSG.
5. How many matches are played in IPL 2026?
In IPL 2026, there are a total of 74 matches (70 league stage matches + 4 playoff games: Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2, Final).
