The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will run from March 28 to May 31, after the initial window was between March 26 and May 30. However, the entire fixture list of the highly-anticipated tournament won’t be announced all at once.
Instead, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia revealed that the schedule for the first 20 days of the tournament will be announced on Thursday, March 12.
“We plan to announce the IPL 2026 schedule by March 12. For now, we are going to announce the IPL schedule for the first 20 days,” Saikia was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.
It is understood that the remainder of the tournament’s schedule will be announced at a later date as the BCCI aims to evade a clash with assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu.
Teams, however, have already started their preparation for the upcoming IPL season. Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) started their training on March 1 at their High-Performance Centre in Navalur, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and the legendary MS Dhoni among those present.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru held a small preparation camp at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 10, while former champions Gujarat Titans held two training sessions at the Miraj International Cricket Stadium in Nathdwara.
Punjab Kings took their training abroad, heading to Abu Dhabi in early February. They are currently running a practice camp in Dharamsala, while 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad began their camp on March 1 with their domestic players. Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians have also started their training for the upcoming season.
Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals are expected to reunite for a practice camp in Jaipur from March 15, while three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their pre-season camp on March 18. Delhi Capitals recently did one in Hyderabad and are expected to have one in New Delhi, while Lucknow Super Giants had held a preparatory session in Lucknow. Their captain, Rishabh Pant, is having training sessions with Yuvraj Singh, who has been a mentor to the likes of Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson, among others.
IPL 2026 promises to be an exciting affair, with teams having bolstered their squads with key signings during the mini-auction. Teams like KKR and CSK didn’t have memorable campaigns last year. They went for an overhaul of their squads and will look to bounce back strongly in the impending season.
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