2026 Indian Premier League
Dates 28 March – 31 May 2026
Administrator Board of Control for Cricket in India
Cricket format Twenty20
Tournament format(s) Double round-robin and playoffs
Participants 10
Matches 84
Official website iplt20.com
← 2025
2027 →

The 2026 Indian Premier League (also known as IPL 19 and branded as TATA IPL 2026) will be the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League. The tournament will feature 10 teams competing in 84 matches from 28 March to 31 May 2026. It will be held across India, with Bengaluru hosting the opening ceremony and the final as the defending champions.

Background

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional Twenty20 (T20) cricket league held in India, organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is held annually since the first edition in 2008.[1] Royal Challengers Bengaluru were the defending champions, having won their maiden title in the previous season after defeating Punjab Kings in the final.[2]

Format

The IPL Governing Council announced that the IPL would expand to 84 matches from 2026 onwards,[3] and it is expected to expand to 94 matches from 2028 onwards with the return of the complete double round-robin format that was used until 2021.[4]

Schedule

According to ESPNcricinfo, the dates of the tournament window for the three seasons between 2025 and 2027 were sent to franchises ahead of the 2025 auction.[5] In November 2024, the tentative dates for the three seasons were announced, with the 2026 edition set to take place from 15 March to 31 May.[6] In December 2025, it was announced that the 2026 season would commence on 26 March to allow for a three-week gap after the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup final scheduled to take place on 8 March.[7] This led to a clash with the 2026 Pakistan Super League for the second consecutive year taking place from 26 March to 3 May 2026, which was again moved from its typical February–March window for the same reason.[8] Then, in late February 2026, it was announced that the starting date would be postponed by 2 days, resulting in the IPL window being from 28th March to 31st May.

Exclusion of Mustafizur Rahman

See also: 2026 Men's T20 World Cup § Neutral venue arrangements

Bangladeshi fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹9.2 crore (US$1.1 million) in the auction.[9] Following anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh during 2025 and the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in December 2025, there were calls for the exclusion of Bangladeshi players from the IPL.[10] In January 2026, the BCCI requested that the franchise release Rahman from the squad and permitted them to select a replacement player.[11] This move was criticized by former Indian cricketer Madan Lal,[12] Congress politician Shashi Tharoor,[13] and former Bangladeshi captains Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Ashraful[14] while former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra and[15] BJP politician Sangeet Singh Som defended the BCCI's move.[16]

This led the BCCI to put the Indian tour of Bangladesh on hold due to tensions.[17] Furthermore, the Bangladesh Cricket Board has requested the International Cricket Council to shift their matches at the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup which is to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka out of India, similar to that of Pakistan's.[18][19] The Bangladeshi government also banned the broadcast of IPL in their country.[20]

Marketing

The Tata Group renewed their contract as the title sponsors of the IPL for a tenure of 5 years (2024–2028) for ₹2,500 crore (US$300 million).[21]

Broadcasting

JioStar's Star Sports and JioHotstar, currently holds the satellite and digital broadcasting rights for the remainder of the 2023–2027 cycle respectively.[22]

Teams

The same 10 teams from the previous season returned.

Team 2025 performance[23] Head coach[24] Captain[24]
Chennai Super Kings
10th
Stephen Fleming Ruturaj Gaikwad
Delhi Capitals
5th
Hemang Badani Axar Patel
Gujarat Titans
4th
Ashish Nehra Shubman Gill
Kolkata Knight Riders
8th
Abhishek Nayar[25] Ajinkya Rahane
Lucknow Super Giants
7th
Justin Langer Rishabh Pant
Mumbai Indians
3rd
Mahela Jayawardene Hardik Pandya
Punjab Kings
Runners-up
Ricky Ponting Shreyas Iyer
Rajasthan Royals
9th
Kumar Sangakkara[26] Riyan Parag[27]
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Champions
Andy Flower Rajat Patidar
Sunrisers Hyderabad
6th
Daniel Vettori Pat Cummins

Personnel changes

Main article: List of 2026 Indian Premier League personnel changes

The franchises were required to submit their retention lists before 15 November 2025,[28] and a total of 173 players were retained ahead of the auction.[29] The auction was held on 16 December 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.[30] with the auction purse for each franchise set at ₹125 crore (US$15 million).[31] A total of 1,355 players registered for the auction, of which 369 players were shortlisted to feature in the auction and 77 were sold in the auction.[32][33] Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player and the third most expensive player in the history of IPL when he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore (US$3.0 million).[34] Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma became the joint-most expensive uncapped players in the history of IPL when they were both bought by Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 crore (US$1.7 million) each.[35] Meanwhile the 79 unsold players notably included Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jonny Bairstow, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, Alzarri Joseph, Gus Atkinson, Deepak Hooda and Karn Sharma.[36]

Venues

League stage

Points table

Pos Team Pld W L NR Pts NRR Qualification
1 Chennai Super Kings 0 0 0 0 0 — Advance to Qualifier 1
2 Delhi Capitals 0 0 0 0 0 —
3 Gujarat Titans 0 0 0 0 0 — Advance to Eliminator
4 Kolkata Knight Riders 0 0 0 0 0 —
5 Lucknow Super Giants 0 0 0 0 0 —
6 Mumbai Indians 0 0 0 0 0 —
7 Punjab Kings 0 0 0 0 0 —
8 Rajasthan Royals 0 0 0 0 0 —
9 Royal Challengers Bengaluru 0 0 0 0 0 —
10 Sunrisers Hyderabad 0 0 0 0 0 —
First match(es) will be played: 26 March 2026. Source: ESPNcricinfo[37]

Match summary

Team Group matches Playoffs
Q1 E Q2 F
Win Loss No result
  • Note: The total points at the end of each group match are listed.
  • Note: Click on the points (group matches) or W/L (playoffs) to see the match summary.
Visitor team →
Home team ↓
  • Note: Results listed are according to the home (horizontal) and visitor (vertical) teams.
  • Note: Click on a result to see a summary of the match.

Fixtures

All times are in Indian Standard Time (UTC+05:30)
Match 1
28 March 2026 (N)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (H)
v
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Playoffs

Bracket

Qualifier 1 Qualifier 2 Final
31 May 2026
1 1st placed team Q1W Winner of Qualifier 1
2 2nd placed team Q2W Winner of Qualifier 2
Q1L Loser of Qualifier 1
Eliminator EW Winner of Eliminator
3 3rd placed team
4 4th placed team
  • Source: ESPNcricinfo[38]

Qualifier 1

Qualifier 1
May 2026
1st placed team
v
2nd placed team

Eliminator

Eliminator
May 2026
3rd placed team
v
4th placed team

Qualifier 2

Qualifier 2
May 2026
Loser of Qualifier 1
v
Winner of Eliminator

Final

Main article: 2026 Indian Premier League final
Final
31 May 2026
Winner of Qualifier 1
v
Winner of Qualifier 2
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

References

  1. ^ "Indian Premier League". Britannica.com. Archived from the original on 17 March 2025. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  2. ^ "RCB and Virat Kohli end 18-year wait for IPL glory with six-run defeat of Punjab Kings". The Guardian. 3 June 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  3. ^ "IPL 2025: No increase in the number of matches as BCCI wary of India's workload". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 25 May 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Arun Dhumal hints at expanded 94-match IPL in 2028 but without new teams". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  5. ^ "IPL 2025 to begin on March 14; dates for next three seasons revealed". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  6. ^ "BCCI announces dates for IPL 2025, 2026 and 2027 all at once in never-before-heard move". Hindustan Times. 22 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 November 2024. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  7. ^ "IPL 2026 to be held between March 26 and May 31". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  8. ^ "PSL 2026 Set To Clash With IPL Again As PCB Courts Global Investors Ahead Of Franchise Expansion". Wisden. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  9. ^ "IPL 2026 Auction: Mustafizur Rahman sold to KKR for Rs. 9.20 crore". Sportstar. 16 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  10. ^ "KKR And Mustafizur Rahman Controversy Explained: What Is It About?". News18. 2 January 2026. Archived from the original on 1 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  11. ^ "KKR release Mustafizur from IPL 2026 squad following BCCI instructions". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  12. ^ Narayanan, V. M. Suriya (3 January 2026). "Former Indian cricketer blames political influence for BCCI's decision on Mustafizur Rahman". Crictoday. Archived from the original on 12 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Who are we punishing? Shashi Tharoor after KKR releases Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman". India Today. 3 January 2026. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  14. ^ "'Totally shocked': Ex-Bangladesh captains voice concern over Mustafizur's IPL exclusion". The Daily Star. 3 January 2026. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  15. ^ "What Is Mustafizur Rahman's Fault? Ex-KKR Star Responds With Epic 'Pakistan' Example". NDTV Sports. 4 January 2026. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  16. ^ "'Win for Hindus': BJP leaders, spiritual gurus hail Bangladeshi player Mustafizur Rahman's KKR exit". The Business Standard. 3 January 2026. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Like with Pakistan, India-Bangladesh cricket ties could snap after BCCI asks IPL franchise Shahrukh Khan's KKR, to eject Mustafizur Rahman from team". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  18. ^ "Bangladesh govt asks cricket board to shift T20 World Cup games out of India after Mustafizur controversy". The Economic Times. 4 January 2026. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  19. ^ "Bangladesh refuse to travel to India for T20 World Cup". ESPNcricinfo. 4 January 2026. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  20. ^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (5 January 2026). "Bangladesh bans IPL telecast, cites 'hurt sentiments'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  21. ^ "TATA Group secures title sponsorship rights for IPL 2024-28". IPLT20.com. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  22. ^ McCaskill, Steve (8 December 2025). "JioStar seeks exit from US$3bn ICC cricket deal". SportsPro. Archived from the original on 8 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025. JioStar also owns the domestic broadcast and streaming rights to the IPL [...]
  23. ^ 2025 Indian Premier League points table standings at ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  24. ^ a b [citation needed]
  25. ^ "Abhishek Nayar appointed Kolkata Knight Riders head coach". The Indian Express. 26 October 2025.
  26. ^ "Kumar Sangakkara back to helm Rajasthan Royals' coaching staff". ESPNcricinfo. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  27. ^ "Riyan Parag named Rajasthan Royals' new captain". ESPNcricinfo. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  28. ^ "IPL 2026 retention rules explained: How many players can a franchise retain or release before auction?". The Times of India. 12 November 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  29. ^ "TATA IPL 2026 Player Retentions Announced". IPLT20.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  30. ^ "IPL auction set to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 5 January 2026. Retrieved 15 December 2025.
  31. ^ "IPL 2026: How the squads stack up ahead of the auction". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 16 November 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  32. ^ 2026 Indian Premier League auction, sold players at ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 23 December 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  33. ^ "IPL 2026 player list - full squads of each team". Olympics.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  34. ^ "IPL auction 2026: Australia's Cameron Green becomes most expensive overseas player in tournament's history". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  35. ^ "Who are Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer - the costliest uncapped buys?". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  36. ^ "Unsold players at IPL 2026 auction: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Deepak Hooda among big names - get full list". Olympics.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  37. ^ 2026 Indian Premier League points table standings at ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  38. ^ 2025 Indian Premier League, schedule fixtures and results at ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2026.

General references

  • "IPL Season Schedule 2026". Indian Premier League Schedule. 19 (1). Board of Control for Cricket in India.