Amidst the 2026 T20 World Cup, cricket fans are waiting for another exciting season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The upcoming edition of the 10-team tournament is scheduled to begin on March 28, two days after the initial start date planned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
IPL On 15 December 2025, a day before the last auction, the franchises were informed that the 2026 edition would start on 26 March, but according to ESPNcricinfo, the IPL has internally decided to postpone the start date to 28 March, and the summit clash on 31 May.
It is understood that the IPL Governing Council is scheduled to meet next week to finalize the plan for releasing the fixtures, which has been postponed as the dates for the assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have not been announced yet. While Kolkata (in West Bengal) and Chennai (in Tamil Nadu) are the home bases for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) respectively, the capital of Assam, Guwahati, is the home base for the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, whenever there have been general elections in the country – in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 – or assembly elections in a state, the schedule has been announced in two phases. The GC is expected to decide whether to take the same route or wait for the Election Commission of India to announce election dates for the three states first.
The IPL Governing Council is also expected to discuss the venue of the curtain-raising event, as it will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Following the stampede during RCB's victory celebrations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru last June, which resulted in the death of 11 fans, RCB has entered into consultations with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), trying to find out whether the team's seven home games will be held at the iconic stadium or shifted elsewhere.
Some of the alternative locations chosen by the Rajat Patidar-led team include Navi Mumbai, Raipur and Pune.
Get every cricket update! Follow us: :
Leave a Reply