IPL 2026 to run from March 26 to May 31, BCCI informs franchises

IPL 2026 will begin on Thursday, March 26 and run until Sunday, May 31. This emerged as the key takeaway from a meeting between the franchises and the IPL authorities in Abu Dhabi.

Whether the tournament will kick off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru remains a major point of interest. Traditionally, the opening match is staged in the city of the defending champions, but the availability of the Chinnaswamy Stadium is uncertain. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional clearance from the state government to host IPL games, subject to meeting stipulated safety and security requirements.

A top BCCI official, when asked about the possibility, said, "We hope so. The State's Deputy Chief Minister (DK Shivakumar) himself has said so."

The uncertainty is due to the catastrophic stampede on June 4, which claimed the lives of at least 11 fans during RCB's victory celebrations. Since then, the State Government has been denying permission for cricket matches at the venue.

Easwaran inclusion confirmed

The BCCI has confirmed the inclusion of Abhimanyu Easwaran in the auction register. He is among 19 late additions to the final list ahead of Tuesday's auction in Abu Dhabi. Easwaran has been listed as No. 360.

The additional names added are: Mani Shankar Mura Singh, Virandeep Singh, Chama Milind, KL Shrijith, Eathan Bosch, Chris Green, Swastik Chikara, Rahul Raj Namala, Virat Singh, Tripuresh Singh, Kyle Verreynne, Blessing Muzarabani, Ben Sears, Rajesh Mohanty, Swastik Samal, Saransh Jain, Sooraj Sangaraju, and Tanmay Agarwal.

Franchise and BCCI officials say the sheer volume of late inclusions this time is unprecedented. "Never before have so many new names been added," said a franchise official.

The total number of players in the auction register is now 369. A maximum of 77 players can be bought, but only if all franchises fill their approved 25-player squads, which rarely happens.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has informed franchises that almost all overseas players will be available for most of the tournament. There had been uncertainty over Bangladesh players, but it is now clarified they may be unavailable briefly in April due to international commitments.

It was already reported that Josh Inglis (25% availability), Ashton Agar (65%), William Sutherland (80%), Adam Milne (95%), and Rilee Rossouw (20%) will have limited participation in the season.