Chinnaswamy set to host RCB’s IPL 2026 matches – but there’s a big twist cricket news
New Delhi: Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is all set to host matches in the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 season, but there is an important condition attached to it.Board of Control for Cricket in India (bcci) on Wednesday announced the schedule of the first phase of IPL 2026, which will run from March 28 to April 12. The 19th edition of the tournament will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
However, matches being held at the prestigious venue are subject to the approval of a government-appointed expert committee.“Since assembly elections are to be held in three states during this period, the complete schedule of the tournament will be announced after the election dates are announced,” the BCCI said in a release.A total of 20 matches will be played in the first phase across 10 venues – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.The BCCI also clarified that the matches in Bengaluru will depend on final security clearance from the authorities.BCCI said, “The matches to be held in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The Committee will meet and inspect the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match day arrangements will be conducted to assess the preparedness of the stadium to host IPL matches.”During the first phase, the tournament will consist of four double-headers, with the afternoon games starting at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches starting at 07:30 PM IST.
IPL 2026: Schedule
| match | date | Day | Time | venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rcb vs srh | 28-March-26 | sat | Evening | Bengaluru |
| mi vs kkr | 29-March-26 | Sun | Evening | Mumbai |
| RR vs CSK | 30-March-26 | Mon | Evening | Guwahati |
| PBKS vs GT | 31-March-26 | Fortunate | Evening | Mullanpur |
| lsg vs dc | 1-April-26 | Mercury | Evening | Lucknow |
| KKR vs SRH | 2-April-26 | Teacher | Evening | Kolkata |
| csk vs pbks | 3-April-26 | Vesper | Evening | Chennai |
| DC vs MI | 4-April-26 | sat | Afternoon | Delhi |
| gt vs rr | 4-April-26 | sat | Evening | Ahmedabad |
| srh vs lsg | 5-April-26 | Sun | Afternoon | Hyderabad |
| rcb vs csk | 5-April-26 | Sun | Evening | Bengaluru |
| KKR vs PBKS | 6-April-26 | Mon | Evening | Kolkata |
| RR vs MI | 7-April-26 | Fortunate | Evening | Guwahati |
| DC vs GT | 8-April-26 | Mercury | Evening | Delhi |
| kkr vs lsg | 9-April-26 | Teacher | Evening | Kolkata |
| RR vs RCB | 10-April-26 | Vesper | Evening | Guwahati |
| pbks vs srh | 11-April-26 | sat | Afternoon | Mullanpur |
| csk vs dc | 11-April-26 | sat | Evening | Chennai |
| lsg vs gt | 12-April-26 | Sun | Afternoon | Lucknow |
| mi vs rcb | 12-April-26 | Sun | Evening | Mumbai |
The first double-header of the season is scheduled for April 4, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their opening home matches at the PCA Stadium.As per the current plan, Royal Challengers Bangalore will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will split their home matches between Guwahati and Jaipur.However, the final confirmation of the Bengaluru matches will depend on the outcome of the inspection and clearance by the expert committee of the Karnataka government.


