The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is scheduled to be held between March 26 and May 31, though it remains uncertain whether Bengaluru, home of defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), will host the opening match.
As per IPL convention, the tournament opener is usually staged at the home venue of the reigning champions. Accordingly, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is the designated choice after RCB clinched the IPL 2025 title.
However, the venue has been under scrutiny following a tragic stampede during the team’s trophy celebrations in June this year, which left 11 people dead after massive crowds gathered beyond the state machinery’s capacity to manage at short notice. The incident led to a temporary halt on high-profile cricket events at the stadium.
Although the Karnataka government has granted conditional clearance to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue is still required to meet enhanced safety and security norms in the aftermath of the incident before hosting major matches.
Meanwhile, the mini-auction for IPL 2026 is set to take place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, with three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders entering the auction with the biggest purse.
A total of 77 slots are available, including 31 for overseas players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the most vacancies, 13, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with ten.
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While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the full schedule, the IPL 2026 season is expected to begin roughly three weeks after the conclusion of the men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held from February 7 to March 8 in India and Sri Lanka, and will run for a little over two months.
