In a major development, the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026 season is now slated to begin on March 28, two days later than originally planned. It is worth noting that the final of the tournament is slated to be played on May 31. It is interesting to note that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) had informed the franchises earlier that the tournament would kick off on March 26.
However, the change in dates has happened as the dates for assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu have not been announced yet. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the IPL governing council will be meeting next week to finalise the schedule for the tournament.
Interestingly, since the IPL’s inception in 2008, whenever the country has had its general elections in 2009, 2014, 2019, and 2024 – or a state has had its assembly elections – the schedule of the tournament has been announced in two parts. The governing council will soon meet to decide whether a similar plan of action will be followed this time around or if they will wait for the Election Commission of India to announce the poll dates for the three states first.
The governing council set to have discuss upcoming season’s opening game
Another major point of discussion in the upcoming governing council meeting will be the season opener of the upcoming IPL campaign. The season opener has been a point of discussion, as it will involve the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
After the stampede incident, it will be discussed where the RCB clash will be played. The franchise has been involved in discussions with the Karnataka State Cricket Association on whether the team's seven home matches would be played at the venue or be moved somewhere else.
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