When Will IPL 2026 Begin? Start And Final Date Revealed; Chinnaswamy Opener in Doubt

IPL 2026: On Monday evening, franchise officials and IPL authorities had a closed-door meeting in Abu Dhabi on the eve of the mini auction. The big takeaway from the meet was the dates for the start of IPL 2026. As per a report in Cricbuzz, IPL 2026 starts from March 26 and the final will be played in May 31. While there is no confirmation on the dates as yet, an official confirmation is expected soon. 

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Much Dilemma Over Opener

Now that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru has won the title in 2025, Chinnaswamy should automatically host the 2026 opener; but that may not be the case. While it cannot be confirmed where will the opener be held, Chinnaswamy - as a venue - is doubtful as of now. This problem has come up because of the stampede that took place outside the stadium earlier in the year after RCB won their maiden title. 

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has not received a complete clearance on this from the state government. In fact, what KSCA has received is a conditional clearance. 

IPL Auction

The much-awaited IPL mini auction takes place on December 16. The event will take place in Abu Dhabi. This is going to be the third straight occasion when an IPL auction is being held outside India. In 2024, it was held in Dubai and in the following year in 2025 - it was held in Jeddah. Some of the big names to watch out for in the auction would be Australia's Cameron Green, England's Liam Livingstone and India's Ravi Bishnoi. 

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The auction process is expected to be exciting with a number of bidding wars on the cards.