NEW DELHI: The Governing Council of the Indian Premier League has cleared the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, with the fixtures expected to be officially announced on March 6 or 7, according to a report by Cricbuzz.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The decision was taken during an online GC meeting on Monday, where it was decided that the Season 19 schedule would be released in two phases. The first set of fixtures, covering approximately the opening 13 to 14 days, is likely to be unveiled later this week.

As per the same report, the tournament opener is set to be held at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Royal Challengers Bengaluru confirmed on Tuesday that they will play five home matches at the venue. As per tradition, the defending champions host the opening match, and that convention appears set to continue. Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary Santosh Menon also confirmed that the Chinnaswamy Stadium will stage a playoff fixture as well as the final.While RCB’s opening opponents are yet to be finalised, an earlier Cricbuzz report had indicated that the start of the season could be pushed back slightly, with March 28 or 29 emerging as probable dates. The final, as previously announced, is scheduled for May 31.In a recent communication to franchises, BCCI acting CEO and IPL COO Hemang Amin conveyed that practice session guidelines would be shared next week. Franchises were also informed that No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for overseas players would be issued collectively in the coming days.The delay in releasing the full schedule is linked to the pending announcement of Assembly election dates in West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu. With limited time before the season begins, the BCCI has opted for a staggered release — a strategy previously adopted during election years.