Guwahati to Host Three IPL 2026 Matches as BCCI Announces First Phase Schedule

GUWAHATI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday announced the schedule for the first phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, with Guwahati set to host three matches as part of Rajasthan Royals’ home fixtures during the tournament’s opening leg from March 28 to April 12.

According to an official statement issued by the BCCI, the complete schedule for the tournament will be released after the announcement of dates for the upcoming State Assembly elections in three states that are expected to coincide with the league.

The 19th edition of the popular T20 tournament will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.

As per the schedule released for the first phase, a total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

During this phase of the tournament, four double-headers will be played, with afternoon matches scheduled to begin at 03:30 PM IST and evening fixtures starting at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening match, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will be held on April 4. In the afternoon match, Delhi Capitals will face Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, while the evening game will see Gujarat Titans clash with Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians during the first phase of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings will play their early home matches at the PCA Stadium.

Over the course of the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

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