No Disruption Yet: IPL Officials Monitor West Asia Conflict Ahead Of 2026 Season

The Indian Premier League authorities are closely monitoring the prevailing situation amid the ongoing West Asia conflict but say conditions remain under control so far, an IPL official told ANI on Thursday.

Speaking on the matter, the official said that while the situation is a matter of concern, there has been no indication of disruption involved in the tournament's operations.

The West Asia conflict has put stress on player travel. The West Indian team's departure post the T20 World Cup in India was delayed due to the cancellation of flights to the region.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president and Congress MP Rajeev Shukla on Thursday confirmed that the Indian Premier League 2026 season will take place as scheduled and said the remaining match fixtures will be announced after the election dates are declared by the Election Commission of India.

When Will the Remaining IPL 2026 Schedule Be Announced?

Speaking to ANI, Shukla clarified that the BCCI has already released the schedule for the initial phase of the tournament and will decide on the remaining fixtures once the poll schedule is announced for the states heading to elections.

"IPL will be held as per schedule. We have released the schedule for 20 matches. The schedule for remaining matches will be released after the Election Commission announces the dates for states going to the election," Shukla said.

On Wednesday, BCCI announced the schedule for the first phase of the IPL 2026, which will be played from March 28 to April 12.

As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are declared.

The 19th edition of the tournament will begin when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Which Cities Will Host IPL 2026 Matches in the First Phase?

A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues during the first phase. The cities hosting matches include Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

The tournament will feature four double-headers during this phase, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST.

Following the opening encounter on Saturday, Mumbai Indians will take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, 2026, when Delhi Capitals face Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans taking on Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Rajasthan Royals will begin their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium.

During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamshala, while Rajasthan Royals will play three home matches in Guwahati and four in Jaipur.

(With inputs from ANI)