IPL 2026 Season Kicks Off March 28 Amid Election Schedule Hurdles

With less than 20 days remaining before the start of the new IPL season, the BCCI is expected to release the schedule for the lucrative event in two parts, with the dates for the first half likely to be announced on Monday. Teams have started practising and running camps at partial capacities. Additionally, some franchises have revealed their highly-anticipated jerseys.

Because of uncertainty about the home venues for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR), along with potential election-related conflicts in certain cities, the BCCI had to postpone the announcement.

The venue for the games will be decided based on the election dates across states in India, so that matches don't clash with the electoral process and both events can be carried out smoothly.

Major state assembly elections are set to take place in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala, and Puducherry between March and May. As the Election Commission is still finalizing the polling dates for these regions, the BCCI cannot confirm the complete 84-match schedule yet.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), as defending champions, will play the first game at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28. Their opponent will be announced once the schedule is released.

RCB ended their 18-year trophy drought and clinched their maiden IPL title in 2025, defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the summit clash. RCB posted 190/9, and PBKS finished at 184/7, with Krunal Pandya named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.

Individually, Sai Sudharsan of the Gujarat Titans won the Orange Cap with 759 runs, while Prasidh Krishna took the Purple Cap with 25 wickets. Suryakumar Yadav was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his consistent performances.

The season also saw emerging talent make headlines, including teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who became the youngest IPL debutant and scored a record-breaking century aged just 14.

- IANS