Champions Bengaluru to host Hyderabad in IPL 2026 opener

BENGALURU: Indian Premier League champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will kick off the 2026 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28, the BCCI announced.

The board has released only the first phase of the schedule (March 28 to April 12), as elections are scheduled in three states. The rest of the fixtures will be announced later.

Other key season openers:

Mumbai Indians host the Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29.

Chennai Super Kings face Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30.

Matches in Bengaluru require approval from a government-appointed expert committee. The stadium has not hosted games with fans since a stampede in June killed 11 people during RCB celebrations.

RCB will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur this season. The expert committee will inspect the stadium on March 13, including a full mock demonstration, to ensure safety and match-day readiness.