The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be played from March 26 to May 31, continuing in the same time window used in recent seasons. Although the BCCI is yet to release the full match schedule, this will be the 19th edition of the tournament and is expected to begin around three weeks after the end of the men’s T20 World Cup.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place from February 7 to March 8 across India and Sri Lanka, giving players a short turnaround before the start of the IPL. The league will run for a little over two months, once again occupying the prime summer slot in the international cricket calendar.
For the second consecutive year, the IPL will overlap with the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is set to be held from March 26 to May 3. This scheduling clash could again affect player availability, particularly for overseas cricketers who feature in both leagues.
Meanwhile, IPL teams have already completed the process of player retentions and releases, which was announced in mid-November. Attention has now shifted to the IPL auction, scheduled for December 16 in Abu Dhabi. A total of 369 players have been shortlisted for the auction, with 77 slots available across all teams, including 31 reserved for overseas players.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have the highest number of vacancies, with 13 spots to fill, followed by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who have ten slots open. KKR also head into the auction with the largest remaining budget of INR 64.30 crore, while Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have the second-highest purse at INR 43.40 crore.
The previous IPL season concluded on June 3, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their maiden IPL title by defeating Punjab Kings by six runs in the final held in Ahmedabad.
