IPL 2026 set to begin on March 26:Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru still awaiting final clearance; showdown scheduled on May 31

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will begin on Thursday, March 26, and conclude on Sunday, May 31. The dates were finalised during a meeting between IPL franchises and league officials held in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening. The key announcement was made by IPL CEO Hemang Amin during a briefing ahead of the IPL auction scheduled for Tuesday. While the dates are confirmed, uncertainty remains over the venue for the opening match, with the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru still awaiting final clearance. Traditionally, the IPL opener is hosted by the city of the defending champions, but safety concerns at the Bengaluru venue have raised questions among franchise representatives attending the pre-auction meeting at the W Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Chinnaswamy Stadium under safety review The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received only conditional approval from the state government to host IPL matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The clearance depends on meeting strict safety and security guidelines. Asked whether the league would start at Chinnaswamy, a senior BCCI official said, “We hope so.” He further added, “The State’s Deputy Chief Minister (DK Shivakumar) himself has said so.” The Deputy Chief Minister recently told the media, “We have decided about the IPL matches. We are positive. We have asked our Home Minister, G Parameshwara, to have a meeting with them (KSCA authorities). Parameshwara will discuss with the Cricket Association. The Home Minister will deal with it.” The venue has been under scrutiny following a tragic stampede on June 4 during RCB’s victory celebrations, which claimed at least 11 lives. Since then, the state government has been cautious about allowing major events at the stadium, forcing the BCCI to shift Women’s World Cup matches out of Bengaluru. Abhimanyu Easwaran added to the auction list Meanwhile, the BCCI has confirmed the inclusion of Abhimanyu Easwaran in the IPL 2026 auction register. He is among 19 late additions to the list and has been placed at No. 360. The final auction register now includes 369 players. Other late additions include players from India and overseas, such as Chris Green, Kyle Verreynne, Blessing Muzarabani, Ben Sears and Adam Milne. A franchise official said, “Never before have so many new names been added.” A maximum of 77 players can be bought at the auction, provided all franchises complete their 25-player squads. Overseas player availability for IPL 2026 The BCCI has also informed franchises that most overseas players will be available for the majority of the season. Bangladesh players may miss a short period in April due to international duties. Players like Josh Inglis, Ashton Agar, William Sutherland, Adam Milne and Rilee Rossouw are expected to have limited availability during IPL 2026.