IPL 2026 to run from March 26 to May 31, BCCI informs franchises

IPL 2026 will begin on Thursday, March 26 and run until Sunday, May 31. This emerged as the key takeaway from the meeting between the IPL franchises in Abu Dhabi on Monday (December 15) evening. Whether the tournament will kick off at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, however, remains a major point of interest among franchise representatives who attended the pre-auction meeting at the W Hotel in Abu Dhabi.

The dates for IPL Season 19 were disclosed by Hemang Amin, the league's CEO, during a briefing ahead of Tuesday's auction. Traditionally, the opening match is staged in the city of the defending champions, but the availability of the Chinnaswamy Stadium remains uncertain. While the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received a conditional clearance from the state government to host IPL games at the venue, it is subject to meeting stipulated safety and security requirements.

Easwaran inclusion confirmed

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed the inclusion of Abhimanyu Easwaran in the auction register, as reported earlier by Cricbuzz. He is among 19 late additions to the final list that will be shared with IPL franchises ahead of Tuesday's auction at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Easwaran has been listed as No. 360 in the spreadsheet.

More to follow...