When Does the IPL Season Start? 2026 Dates and 2027 Outlook

The IPL season starts in the second half of March and ends in late May or the first days of June. The 2026 season ran from 28 March to 31 May 2026; the 2027 season has no published schedule yet, but the BCCI has said it is considering a 10 March to 15 May window to avoid the May heat. This page is the evergreen schedule guide: the confirmed dates for the most recent season, what has been said about the next one, and the shape of the season between auction and final.

IPL 2027

As of 14 October 2026 nothing is official. The BCCI secretary told PTI in June that the board was considering starting on 10 March and finishing on 15 May 2027, earlier than usual, with 74 matches: 70 in the league stage and four playoffs. An earlier tentative window of 14 March to 30 May has also circulated. The auction is confirmed for Goa in December 2026, and the league calendar normally follows within a few weeks of the auction. We will update this section when the board publishes the fixtures. A 94-match season has been floated for 2028 but not adopted.

IPL 2026

• League stage: 28 March to 24 May 2026, 70 matches over 64 days. The start was moved two days later than planned because of state elections.
• Qualifier 1: 26 May, Dharamshala, Royal Challengers Bengaluru v Gujarat Titans.
• Eliminator: 27 May, New Chandigarh, Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals.
• Qualifier 2: 29 May, New Chandigarh.
• Final: 31 May, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, moved from Bengaluru in early May. RCB beat Gujarat Titans by five wickets to retain the title, Virat Kohli 75 not out.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi won the Orange Cap with 776 runs and Kagiso Rabada the Purple Cap with 29 wickets.

The Shape of a Season

1. Retention deadline, mid-November, when franchises publish who they are keeping.
2. Auction, usually December, occasionally February. See when the IPL auction is held.
3. Schedule release, typically February, with the opening fixture and venues.
4. League stage, roughly nine weeks from late March, each team playing fourteen matches. The IPL format page explains the group structure.
5. Playoffs, four matches over about a week at the end of May, then the final.

Watching From the UK

Matches start at 3.30pm or 7.30pm Indian time, which is 11am and 3pm in the UK once British Summer Time begins, with the earlier slot used for weekend double-headers. Sky Sports holds the UK rights through 2027; our guide to where to watch the IPL in the UK has the channels and prices.

FAQs: IPL Season Dates

When does IPL 2027 start? Not yet announced. The BCCI has said it is considering 10 March to 15 May 2027. The 2026 season ran 28 March to 31 May.

How many matches are in an IPL season? 74: 70 league matches and four playoffs, confirmed for 2027 as well.

Where was the IPL 2026 final? The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 31 May 2026, where RCB beat Gujarat Titans.

When is the IPL schedule released? Usually in February, a few weeks after the auction and a few weeks before the first match.

What time do IPL matches start in the UK? 11am and 3pm during British Summer Time, for the 3.30pm and 7.30pm Indian starts.

Sources

The IPL 2026 dates and the election-related start are reported by WION, 27 February 2026. The playoff venues and the final's move to Ahmedabad are reported by Khaleej Times, 6 May 2026. The proposed 2027 window is reported from the BCCI secretary's comments to PTI by Yahoo Sport, 18 June 2026.