Biggest league season ever, 16 matches per team:Restriction on family travel, sleeveless jerseys; how is the 19th edition different?

The 19th season of the Indian Premier League starts on March 28, with the final scheduled for May 31. This will be the biggest season of IPL so far, with 84 matches played between 10 teams. The opening match will be between defending champions Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. This match will be played at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Read on for all information related to the league’s schedule, participating teams, format, and new changes Full schedule not released due to elections Due to the Assembly elections set to be held in five states during April-May, the league has not yet got its full schedule. These include Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, which are states hosting IPL matches. That’s why, only the schedule for 20 matches to be held from March 28 to April 12 has been released. How many teams will play? A total of 10 teams are participating in the league. These include Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, and Gujarat Titans. When will the playoffs start? The full schedule has not been released yet, but BCCI has provided enough information that the final will be played in Bengaluru on May 31. According to this intel, the first Qualifier can be played on May 26, the Eliminator on May 27, and the second Qualifier on May 29. How many grounds will host matches? Compared to IPL 2026, this time, matches will be played in 13 different cities across India. 7 out of 10 teams have chosen one home venue each, while Bengaluru, Punjab, and Rajasthan have two home grounds each. After 13 years, an IPL match will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur, which is RCB’s second home venue. The last match at Raipur Stadium was played between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in 2013. What’s new this time? No practice on match day: No team will be allowed to do net practice on the day of the match. No team can use the nets of another team. Even if one team finishes practice early, the other team will not be able to play on that pitch. Travel and Safety Rules: Players must travel by team bus only. Family members will only be permitted in the hospitality zone. Player and Team Discipline: All staff members must carry their ID cards at all times. Bringing children or unauthorised family members into the dugout and on the field will be prohibited. Broadcast and Dress Code: Players holding the Orange and Purple Caps must wear the cap during the match. Even if they wish to remove the cap during fielding, they must wear it for the first 2 overs of the innings. Sleeveless jerseys cannot be worn during post-match presentations. Who was the previous champion? Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is the defending champion in IPL 2026. RCB won its first IPL title last season with an all-round performance as a unit. The team defeated Punjab Kings by 6 runs in the 2025 final. Most expensive players in IPL 2026 auction In the IPL 2026 auction, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was the most expensive player, bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for ₹25.20 crore. Meanwhile, among Indian uncapped players, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were included in their team by Chennai Super Kings for ₹14.20 each. Where can you watch IPL 2026? IPL 2026 matches will be broadcast on TV on the Star Sports network, while on digital platforms, the games can be watched via Jio Hotstar. Additionally, you can catch up on live scores, match updates, and other information on the Bhaskar English app.