Abu Dhabi, Dec 16: The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is scheduled to begin on Thursday (March 26) and conclude with the grand finale on Sunday (May 31).
The dates were reportedly confirmed during a meeting between franchise representatives and IPL authorities in Abu Dhabi on Monday (December 15). As per a Cricbuzz report, the development was revealed by IPL CEO Hemang Amin during a briefing ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini-Auction, scheduled for Tuesday (December 16) at the Etihad Arena.
IPL 2026: Suspense over Chinnaswamy Stadium continues for Tournament Opener
While the dates are now firm, uncertainty continues to surround the venue for the opening match, traditionally hosted by the city of the defending champions. The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru remains the preferred option, but final clearance is still awaited.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has received conditional approval from the state government to host IPL fixtures, subject to meeting stipulated safety and security requirements. KSCA officials are hopeful of hosting the tournament at the hallowed ground after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had publicly expressed optimism on the matter.
Shivakumar was recently quoted in the media saying that the government is positive about hosting IPL matches and that Home Minister G Parameshwara has been tasked with holding discussions with KSCA officials to resolve the issue.
The hesitancy around granting full permission stems from the tragic stampede on June 4, during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebrations, which claimed at least 11 lives and left several others injured. Since then, the state government has been reluctant to allow major cricketing events at the venue, forcing the BCCI to relocate Women’s World Cup matches from Bengaluru earlier this year.
Auction List Swells to 369 Players
Meanwhile, the BCCI also confirmed the inclusion of Abhimanyu Easwaran in the IPL 2026 auction register. Easwaran is one of 19 late additions to the final list that has been shared with franchises ahead of the auction. He has been slotted at No. 360 in the auction spreadsheet.
Other late entrants include Mani Shankar Mura Singh (TCA), Virandeep Singh (Malaysia), Chama Milind (HYCA), KL Shrijith (KSCA), Eathan Bosch (South Africa), Chris Green (Australia), Swastik Chikara (UPCA), Rahul Raj Namala (CAU), Virat Singh (JSCA), Tripuresh Singh (MPCA), Kyle Verreynne (South Africa), Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe), Ben Sears (New Zealand), Rajesh Mohanty (OCA), Swastik Samal (OCA), Saransh Jain (MPCA), Sooraj Sangaraju (ACA) and Tanmay Agarwal (HYCA).
With these additions, the total number of players in the auction register has risen to 369. A maximum of 77 players can be bought during the auction, and that too only if all franchises fill their full 25-player squads – a scenario that rarely materialises.
Overseas Player Availability in IPL 2026
The BCCI has also informed franchises that most overseas players will be available for the bulk of the season. Concerns around Bangladesh players have been addressed, with confirmation that they may miss only a brief period in April due to international commitments.