The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially notified all franchises that the IPL 2026 will begin from Thursday, March 26, and will end on Sunday, May 31. The news emerged when a meeting took place between IPL representatives and all franchises in Abu Dhabi on December 15.
The dates were revealed by Hemang Amin, the IPL CEO, in a pre-auction press conference, making this one important piece of information for all teams in IPL Season 19.
Opening Match Location TBC
Although the dates for IPL 2026 have been fixed, the hosting city for the inaugural match is yet to be decided. As a convention, the inaugural match is destined to take place in the city of last year’s winners, which would be M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association has got a conditional go-ahead from the state government to conduct IPL matches, based on adhering to a set of tight safety and security standards.
A senior official in the BCCI seemed optimistic, saying: “The authorities are hoping this will come soon and hopefully, the tournament will commence at Chinnaswamy,” echoing statements by deputy chief minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar in recent days.
State Policy concerning Chinnaswamy Ground
The reluctance in approving matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium is because of a stampede case tragedy on June 4, where at least 11 people were killed and some injured during RCB’s victory celebrations.
After this event, the state government refused to give permission for any matches of cricket to be held in this stadium, compelling the BCCI to shift all Women’s World Cup matches from Bengaluru. Negotiations have begun between the Home Minister and KSCA, which will decide on the future of this stadium in IPL 2026.
Abhimanyu Easwaran Added to IPL 2026 Auction List
Other major news is that the BCCI has listed Abhimanyu Easwaran in the IPL 2026 auction list. Abhimanyu Easwaran is among 19 players added late to the final list of players, which will be distributed among teams before an auction to be conducted in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. He has been assigned Player No. 360 in the official auction list.
List of late additions to the auction
The Late Arrivals include both local and foreign companies, which are topped by:
Chris Green (Australia)
Kyle Verreynne (South Africa
Blessing Muzarab
Ben Sears (New Zealand)
Rilee Rossouw (South Africa
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Ashton Agar, Josh Inglis, William Sutherland(Australia)
Some Indian domestic players from state associations
As reported by TNN, some of the players added in the squads belong to countries with established cricketer populations, such as England, Australia, and Sri Lanka.
Auction Information: Number of Players and Squad Limits
Total players in auction register: 369
Maximum players which can be purchased: 77
Maximum squad allowed in each franchise: 25 players
The roster limit of 77 players will apply only in case all franchises have a full roster of players. That, of course, never happens.
Availability of Overseas Players
The BCCI have eased concerns among franchises about most international players being available for most of IPL 2026. However:
The Bangladesh players might have a short gap in April because of their international commitments.
Players with partial availability are:
Josh Inglis (25)
Ashton Agar (65%)
William Sutherland (80%)
Adam Miln (95 per cent)
Rilee Rossouw (20 per cent)
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