The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi today, December 16th. Ahead of that, the dates for the 2026 Indian Premier League have been revealed. According to these dates, the tournament is scheduled to begin on March 26th, with the final match of the world’s most popular league scheduled for May 31st.

First match of Indian Premier League 2026 possible date

This information was revealed after a meeting between franchises and IPL officials in Abu Dhabi on Monday (December 15th) evening. According to a Cricbuzz report, the tournament will begin on March 26th and last for a total of 66 days, which was revealed during this meeting. The biggest issue during this meeting was whether or not the IPL 2026 matches will be held at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium. Franchise representatives attending the pre-auction meeting at an Abu Dhabi hotel were keen to learn about this.

The dates for IPL season 19 were announced by league CEO Hemang Amin during a briefing ahead of Tuesday’s auction. The first match will be held in the defending champion’s home city, but the availability of the Chinnaswamy Stadium remains uncertain. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional approval from the state government to hold IPL matches at the venue, subject to meeting the stipulated safety and security requirements.

The uncertainty surrounding the Chinnaswamy Stadium stems from the tragic stampede on June 4th, which killed at least 11 fans and injured several others during RCB’s victory celebrations. Since then, the state government has consistently refused to allow cricket matches at the venue. The BCCI even had to move the Women’s World Cup matches out of the city.