On March 26th the BCCI announced the schedule for the rest of the 50 matches in the main part of IPL 2026. They will happen from April 13th to May 24th, 2026, in 12 different Indian cities. This means both fans and the teams can now make travel plans and work out their strategies for a very important part of the tournament.
BCCI Confirms Dates and Venues for Second Phase
The official announcement from the IPL said the matches will be in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Dharamsala, Raipur and New Chandigarh. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play Rajasthan Royals on April 13th at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad to begin the second half.
With fifty games in six weeks, the teams will be very busy trying to get into the playoffs. The main part of the tournament will end on May 24th when Kolkata Knight Riders play Delhi Capitals in Kolkata, finishing off a lot of activity.
Match Schedule Highlights and Key Fixtures
There are several really big matches in the schedule, for example Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium on April 23rd. This will be the first time these two teams meet this year; they’ll play each other again on May 2nd at Chepauk.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru started the tournament earlier in the season at Chinnaswamy, and will have important opponents in the second part of the competition. These second-phase games are likely to significantly affect who makes the playoffs.
Venue Allocations and Team Home Matches
Rajasthan Royals will have four home matches in Jaipur in this part of the schedule, returning to the capital of Rajasthan after playing earlier games in other places. Punjab Kings will have their home matches in New Chandigarh and Dharamsala, with three in Dharamsala.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play three home games in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. RCB plans to have five home games at Chinnaswamy in total during the whole season, showing how important that stadium is again for big matches.
Double-Headers, Timings, and Logistics
The BCCI has confirmed eight doubleheaders in the second part of the competition, which means 12 doubleheaders throughout the whole season. The afternoon games will start at 3:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), and the evening games at 7:30 PM IST, giving broadcasters and fans a regular time pattern.
Doubleheaders make things more complicated for teams, the people who prepare the grounds, and the TV companies. On those days, teams will need to use all their players, the pitches will need careful looking after, and travelling between games will be a challenge.
Playoffs and Final: Dates to Follow
The schedule for the main part of the tournament is now finished, but the BCCI says that the places and dates for the playoff games will be announced later. After the main part of the tournament, the IPL will have four playoff games, and the final is already set for May 31st.
The people running the event have also said there won’t be an opening ceremony this year, as a way of showing respect for the people who died in the terrible event from the previous season. The teams and those in charge have said that keeping people safe and managing the crowds are their top priorities when planning.
The second part of IPL 2026 will be a very important time. The way teams are playing, injuries to players, and how they make their plans will decide which teams get to the playoffs. With 50 games in many different cities, fans can expect exciting matches and changing situations right up to the end of May.
