The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that the IPL 2026 schedule will be released in the next couple of days. Explaining the reason behind the delay, the veteran administrator noted that the elections in a few states have forced them to wait before announcing it. He also clarified that the schedule will be announced for only the first 20 days of the tournament. The next phase will be released once the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirms the election dates.
โWe will announce the first 20-day schedule of IPL in 2 or 3 days after considering the election dates in a few states and will announce the rest of the tournament schedule later,โ Saikia said while speaking to ANI.
In the meantime, IPLโs host broadcaster, JioStar, has already announced that the cash-rich tournament will begin on March 28, which is 20 days after the T20 World Cup 2026 final.ย
Chinnaswamy running behind the clock for IPL 2026
After the stampede on June 4, when 11 lives were lost during RCBโs trophy parade, the Chinnaswamy Stadium was closed for live sports. For the same reason, the Womenโs ODI World Cup matches, including the final, were shifted to other venues. However, after KSCA appointed a new chief, Venkatesh Prasad, things have worked in their favour: the government has allowed them to host IPL matches next season, subject to certain conditions.
With 18 days before the competition, it has been reported that KSCA is running behind schedule in preparing the ground. Earlier, they released a statement, confirming that the Chinnaswamy will host five league matches, one playoff and the final in Bengaluru. However, if KSCA fails to finish the work on time, a late twist could see RCB play at a different venue, apart from Raipur, where the Rajat Patidar-led side is scheduled to play two of their home games.
The decision to implement the recommendations was the KSCAโs. The dates were decided by them. Now, either they havenโt complied with the recommendations or are seeking an extension. These are the main points of contention: The se are the main points of contention: The timeline committed by KSCA does not evoke satisfaction with the actual work done on the ground, fixing of responsibility and gaps with their communication and actual work done. On a scale of 1-10, the current progress is only 2 or 3,โ a source told DH last week.