BCCI Confirm When Will Schedule For Second Half of IPL 2026 be Announced

IPL 2026: BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia has confirmed that the schedule for the second half of the IPL would be out soon. 

“We will announce the remaining IPL-2026 in a few days’ time," Saikia told. 

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For the unversed, the schedule for the first half is already out with Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the curtain-raiser on March 28. The full schedule is yet to be officially released, but despite that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the final will be held in Bengaluru on May 31.

Why is There a Delay in IPL 2026 Schedule Announcement?

It is understood that there is a delay in the announcement of the complete schedule due to the upcoming Assembly elections across five states in April and May. States like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, all of which are set to host matches, are among those going to the polls and that is why BCCI is taking their time and is resorting to phased announcements. 

The Indian board has currently announced the schedule for the first 20 matches, covering the period from March 28 to April 12. The 2026 season is likely to feature a total of 84 matches, comprising 80 league-stage games and four playoff fixtures. Each of the 10 teams will play either 14 or 16 matches in the league stage. 

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RCB vs SRH Curtain-Raiser 

Defending champions Royal Challengers take on Sunrisers at the iconic M. Chinnaswamy stadium. It is expected to be a full house at the home of RCB. One reckons given that they are playing in front of a home crowd, RCB may be slight favourites heading into the game.