IPL 2026 is set to kick off on March 28, with the final scheduled for May 31. The defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), will likely play the opening match, although the venue is yet to be confirmed. The schedule announcement was delayed due to assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, and Tamil Nadu. The IPL 2026 is set to kick off on March 28, with the final scheduled for May 31, This is a change from the earlier announced start date of March 26, which was shared with franchises on December 15, 2025, a day before the last auction. The IPL Governing Council is set to meet next week to finalize the schedule for IPL 2026, which has been delayed due to pending assembly election dates in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. These states are home to several IPL teams - Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in West Bengal, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Assam (Guwahati being their second venue). The IPL Governing Council is also expected to discuss where the opening match of the tournament will be played, as it will feature defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Following the stampede during RCB's victory celebrations at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium last June, which resulted in the death of 11 fans, RCB has been involved in discussions with the Karnataka State Cricket Association on whether the team's seven home matches would be played at the venue or be moved somewhere else. That's how it's usually done . Given the situation, the IPL Governing Council might announce the schedule in two parts to accommodate the elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu.