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According to reports on Friday, IPL 2026 is set to start two days later than originally planned on Mar 26 with elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam. The final of the IPL 2026 is scheduled for May 31, meaning the season will last for more than two months.
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is all set to start on March 28 as 10 teams will compete for the top honour in franchise cricket. According to reports on Friday, IPL 2026 is set to start two days later than originally planned on Mar 26 with elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam. The final of the IPL 2026 is scheduled for May 31, meaning the season will last for more than two months.
With elections in three key Indian states, the IPL governing body is all set to kick start IPL 2026 on Mar 28. In what will be the penultimate season of the current spectrum, 74 matches will take place across the country in the months of March, April and May. Despite elections, the entire season will be played in India with schedules prepared accordingly, according to a prominent cricket website, Espncricinfo.
The IPL governing body is set to meet next week and finalise the venues, dates and release the schedule for fixtures. A key influence in the process will be the dates of elections in the three states mentioned above. The Election Commission of India (ECI) will announce dates for the same next week, which will influence the fixture allocations in a particular state.
Tamil Nadu’s Chennai plays host to five-time champions Chennai Super Kings, Assam’s Guwahati will host Rajasthan Royals and West Bengal’s Kolkata will serve Kolkata Knight Riders. Matches in the respective states and cities will be arranged in such a manner that there will be no stress on the administration.
Traditionally, the IPL final is hosted by the defending champions; however, that is unlikely this year with the champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), facing troubles with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). While M.Chinnaswamy Stadium has been cleared to host matches after being embroiled in a controversy last year for a deadly stampede, RCB have yet announce an agreement with the KSCA to host matches at the now-controversial venue.
Despite the venue not being final, the summit clash is set to take place on May 31. This also means the season is set to last for a whopping 64 days.