The official Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 schedule is delayed, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put it on hold. Tentatively, the IPL may start in March of this year; however, there’s quite a lot of uncertainty since the tournament requires proper planning, security, and logistic coordination, and more.
The Main Reason Why the IPL 2026 Schedule Was Delayed
Millions of Indians are awaiting the IPL 2026 schedule release, but the BCCI has delayed it as they await the finalization of this year’s Assembly Election calendar. Notably, the primary reason behind the delay is the Assembly Elections scheduled for April and May 2026 in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry (Union Territory).
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The delay is important so that there’s no security overlap with elections. More importantly, these regions host the prominent teams like the KKR and CSK, so the tournament dates cannot be finalized until the Election Commission of India (ECI) announces the polling schedule.
Expected Start Date of the IPL 2026
The BCCI has not officially revealed the start date of the IPL 2026. At the Tuesday meeting, the IPL Governing Council has reportedly decided that the Indian Premier League 2026 schedule will only be announced after election details are finalized.
However, tentatively, it is believed that the tournament may begin in March.
Expected Start Date: March 26, 2026
Expected Final Date: May 31, 2026
Number of Matches: 84 matches (Increased from the previous 74-match format).
Top Venues For IPL 2026 Despite Schedule Delay
18 venues are under BCCI’s consideration for the IPL 2026, seeking flexibility. The list includes traditional IPL hubs such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, along with newer or rotational venues like Lucknow, Dharamsala, New Chandigarh, Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Jaipur, Pune, Ranchi, Raipur, and Thiruvananthapuram.
The inclusion of these venues for IPL 2026 will be decided based on the election schedule. Also, Bengaluru (M. Chinnaswamy Stadium) and Jaipur (Sawai Mansingh Stadium) are currently under review.
Bengaluru is under review due to the tragic stampede during the 2025 Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) win celebration. RCB is asked to confirm their venue choices by January 27. Navi Mumbai and Raipur are being considered as alternatives
Jaipur (Sawai Mansingh Stadium) is under review due to the Internal issues within the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). There are doubts regarding its readiness for the tournament, so the Rajasthan Royals (RR) have been asked to finalize their home ground by the end of this week.
Not to Miss Highlights for Indian Premier League 2026
While the IPL 2026 schedule is delayed, there’s few highlights Indian cricket fans should not miss. First being the WPL 2026 has started and is gaining quite an attraction.
Secondly, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will enter the season as defending champions after their win in the last season.
Next, 84 matches are planned for this year, and there are plans for it to scale to 94 by 2028. Lastly, the auction star of this year is Cameron Greek, and KKR bought him for ₹25.2 crore.