IPL 2026 will be played across 13 stadiums in India, spanning 10 primary home grounds plus three secondary venues in Raipur, Dharamsala, and Guwahati.
The BCCI announced the first phase of the TATA IPL 2026 schedule on March 11, 2026, confirming 20 matches across 10 cities from March 28 to April 12.
Three franchises will split their home games between two cities this season: RCB (Bengaluru + Raipur), PBKS (New Chandigarh + Dharamsala), and RR (Guwahati + Jaipur).
The remaining schedule will be released once state assembly election dates for Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu are confirmed.
IPL 2026 Venues At A Glance
| Stadium | City | Home Team | Capacity | Pitch Behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M. Chinnaswamy Stadium | Bengaluru | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | 35,000* | Batting-friendly, short boundaries |
| Wankhede Stadium | Mumbai | Mumbai Indians (MI) | 33,000 | Pace-friendly, dew factor |
| MA Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 33,500 | Spin-friendly, slow surface |
| Eden Gardens | Kolkata | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | 68,000 | Balanced, dew in evenings |
| Narendra Modi Stadium | Ahmedabad | Gujarat Titans (GT) | 1,32,000 | True surface, large outfield |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium | Delhi | Delhi Capitals (DC) | 55,000 | Balanced, spin in mid-overs |
| Rajiv Gandhi Intl. Cricket Stadium | Hyderabad | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | 55,000 | Pace and bounce |
| Ekana Cricket Stadium | Lucknow | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | 50,000 | Batting-first advantage |
| Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Intl. Cricket Stadium | Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | 38,000 | Batting-friendly |
| Sawai Mansingh Stadium | Jaipur | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | 25,000 | Balanced, turns later |
| Barsapara Cricket Stadium | Guwahati | Rajasthan Royals (RR – Alternate) | 40,000 | Pace-friendly, true bounce |
| Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Intl. Stadium | Naya Raipur | RCB (Secondary Venue) | 65,000 | Batting-friendly |
| HPCA Stadium | Dharamsala | Punjab Kings (PBKS – Secondary) | 23,000 | Swing-friendly, scenic venue |
Note: *Chinnaswamy capacity was capped at 35,000 for IPL 2026 following new safety protocols after the 2025 stampede incident
1. M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Home Team: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium takes centre stage this season as the venue for both the IPL 2026 opening match (RCB vs SRH, March 28) and the IPL 2026 final on May 31.
Defending champions RCB will play 5 of their 7 home matches here, with the remaining 2 shifted to Raipur.
Known for its short square boundaries and flat pitches, this ground is a nightmare for bowlers and a paradise for batters.
Totals of 200+ are almost routine here, so fantasy players, take note.
However, there is a significant caveat this season.
The stadium has not hosted top-flight cricket since the tragic stampede during RCB’s 2025 title celebrations, which claimed 11 lives
All Bengaluru matches are subject to clearance from a Karnataka government Expert Committee, which is scheduled to inspect the stadium on March 13, 2026
Capacity: 35,000 (down from 38,000) | Established: 1969 | IPL matches hosted: 99+
2. Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Home Team: Mumbai Indians (MI)
If there is one ground that breathes IPL history, it is the Wankhede Stadium.
Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, will host Kolkata Knight Riders here on March 29 as their opening fixture.
The ground has hosted more IPL matches than any other venue, with over 125 games played here since 2008
Pitch-wise, it favours pace bowlers early on, but the dew factor in evening matches tends to help the chasing team significantly.
Short boundaries make it another batter-friendly venue, so expect fireworks when MI host the defending champions RCB in the last match of the first phase.
Capacity: ~33,000 | Established: 1974 | Location: South Mumbai, Marine Drive area
3. MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai
Home Team: Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
One of the oldest cricket grounds in India, Chepauk was established back in 1916 and remains CSK‘s fortress.
The pitch here is the polar opposite of Chinnaswamy.
Slow, low, and abrasive, it is the most spin-friendly surface in the IPL, which perfectly suits CSK’s traditionally spin-heavy bowling lineup.
Defending totals has historically been more viable here compared to most other IPL venues.
Led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK will look to leverage home conditions after a disappointing 10th-place finish in IPL 2025.
Note: Chennai matches may be affected by Tamil Nadu state assembly elections, and dates could be rescheduled accordingly.
Capacity: ~33,500 | Established: 1916 | IPL matches hosted: 91+
4. Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Home Team: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
The oldest cricket stadium in India (established 1864), Eden Gardens is a ground where atmosphere alone can intimidate the opposition.
With a capacity of around 68,000, the noise levels during KKR home games are legendary.
The pitch tends to offer early assistance to pace bowlers, with lateral movement during the powerplay before settling into a more balanced surface.
Dew plays a significant role in evening matches, often tipping the scales in favour of the chasing side.
KKR, captained by Ajinkya Rahane, made the big-money signing of Cameron Green for Rs 25.20 crore at the auction, making Green the most expensive overseas player in IPL history
Important: KKR’s home fixtures could be affected by West Bengal assembly elections, so keep an eye on revised schedules.
Capacity: ~68,000 | Established: 1864 | IPL matches hosted: 100+
5. Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Home Team: Gujarat Titans (GT)
The world’s largest cricket stadium with a staggering 1,32,000 seating capacity needs no introduction.
Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, have called this ground home since their debut in 2022, and their record here has been impressive.
The pitch generally offers a good batting surface in the first innings but tends to slow down as the game progresses, bringing spinners into play in the second half.
The large outfield and long boundaries make it trickier for big hitters, meaning technique often wins over brute power.
GT’s first home game of IPL 2026 is a double-header clash against Rajasthan Royals on April 4.
Capacity: ~1,32,000 | Established: 1982 (renovated 2020) | IPL matches hosted: 45+
6. Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Home Team: Delhi Capitals (DC)
Formerly called Feroz Shah Kotla, the Arun Jaitley Stadium is the second oldest cricket ground in India, established in 1883.
The surface here offers a balanced contest between bat and ball.
Spin tends to come into play during the middle overs, while dew in the evenings makes chasing a slightly preferred option.
Delhi Capitals, led by captain Axar Patel, will host Mumbai Indians in the first double-header afternoon match on April 4
Capacity: ~55,000 | Established: 1883 | IPL matches hosted: 97+
7. Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad
Home Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
Located in Uppal, the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium is where Sunrisers Hyderabad welcome their opponents.
The pitch here offers pace and bounce, making it a ground where fast bowlers can be genuinely threatening.
SRH, captained by Australian skipper Pat Cummins, will face defending champions RCB in the very first match of the tournament at Chinnaswamy, before returning home for their Hyderabad fixtures.
Dew is also a factor here in evening games, creating even contests between bat and ball.
Capacity: ~55,000 | Established: 2012 | IPL matches hosted: 83+
8. Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
Home Team: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)
One of the newest IPL venues, the Ekana Cricket Stadium (officially Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium) has quickly become a quality venue for T20 cricket.
The surface here tends to favour teams batting first, with the pitch offering true bounce early before becoming slower as the game progresses.
Lucknow Super Giants, led by Rishabh Pant, will host Delhi Capitals in their opening fixture during the first phase.
With a capacity of around 50,000, the atmosphere here has grown each season and is now firmly established as a strong home ground.
Capacity: ~50,000 | Established: 2017 | IPL matches hosted: 22+
9. Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur
Home Team: Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Primary Venue
Also commonly referred to as the PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh, this is one of the newest stadiums on the IPL circuit.
Punjab Kings, captained by Shreyas Iyer, will play 4 of their 7 home matches here, with the remaining 3 shifted to Dharamsala.
The pitch has shown a slight batting-first advantage so far, though the sample size is still small with only 11 IPL matches hosted here to date.
PBKS will open their season at this ground against Gujarat Titans.
Capacity: ~38,000 | Established: 2021 | IPL matches hosted: 11+
10. Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur
Home Team: Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Primary Venue
The Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur is the original home of Rajasthan Royals, the inaugural IPL champions.
RR are scheduled to play 4 home matches here during the season, with the remaining 3 taking place in Guwahati.
The pitch generally starts as a good batting surface before offering turn as the game progresses, making it a balanced venue overall.
This season, Riyan Parag takes over as captain from Sanju Samson, who was traded to CSK in a headline-grabbing pre-season swap that also saw Ravindra Jadeja move in the opposite direction
Note: Jaipur fixtures will be part of the second phase schedule, which is yet to be announced.
Capacity: ~25,000 | Location: Pink City, Jaipur
11. Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati
Home Team: Rajasthan Royals (RR) – Secondary Venue
The Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati serves as Rajasthan Royals‘ alternate home ground and has become a regular IPL venue in recent seasons.
RR will kick off their entire IPL 2026 campaign from Guwahati, hosting CSK and MI in their first three home fixtures here
The pitch offers pace and true bounce, making it a good ground for fast bowlers and aggressive batters alike.
The CSK vs RR clash here is particularly spicy, as Jadeja and Samson will face their former teams for the first time since the trade.
Note: Guwahati fixtures may also be subject to changes due to Assam assembly elections.
Capacity: ~40,000 | Location: Barsapara, Guwahati, Assam
12. Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Naya Raipur
Home Team: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – Secondary Venue
This Raipur-based stadium steps in as RCB’s secondary venue for IPL 2026, hosting 2 of their 7 home matches.
The move gives fans in Chhattisgarh a rare opportunity to watch top-level IPL cricket in their city.
The pitch here generally favours batting, with true bounce and even carry making it a ground where stroke-makers can thrive.
With a capacity of around 65,000, it is one of the larger grounds on the circuit.
Capacity: ~65,000 | Location: Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh
13. HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala
Home Team: Punjab Kings (PBKS) – Secondary Venue
If there is one IPL venue that wins the beauty contest every single year, it is Dharamsala.
Nestled in the Kangra Valley with the Dhauladhar mountain range as a backdrop, the HPCA Stadium is arguably the most scenic cricket ground on the planet.
Punjab Kings will play 3 of their 7 home matches here this season
The altitude and cool mountain air make conditions swing-friendly, especially in the early overs.
Fast bowlers absolutely love this ground, so teams relying heavily on spin might find it tricky here.
With just ~23,000 capacity, it is the smallest IPL venue this season, but the atmosphere punches well above its size.
Capacity: ~23,000 | Location: Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh
Key Venue-Related Changes in IPL 2026
This season brings a few notable shifts from previous editions. Here is what is different.
Three Teams, Two Home Grounds Each
RCB splits between Bengaluru (5 games) and Raipur (2 games).
PBKS splits between New Chandigarh (4 games) and Dharamsala (3 games).
RR splits between Guwahati (3 games) and Jaipur (4 games).
Chinnaswamy Safety Concerns
The Karnataka government has set up an Expert Committee to assess match-day readiness at Chinnaswamy after the 2025 stampede tragedy.
A full-scale mock demonstration is scheduled for March 13, 2026, and all Bengaluru fixtures depend on this clearance.
Election-Driven Schedule Splits
Assembly elections in Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu have forced the BCCI to release the schedule in phases.
Only the first 20 matches (March 28 to April 12) have been announced so far, with the rest to follow once poll dates are confirmed.
84 Matches: The Biggest IPL Season Yet
IPL 2026 expands to 84 matches, up from 74 in the previous season, making it the largest edition in the tournament’s history.
This expansion means more games at each venue and a longer tournament window (March 28 to May 31).
IPL 2026 Match Timings and Broadcast Details
All IPL 2026 evening matches start at 7:30 PM IST, while afternoon double-header games begin at 3:30 PM IST.
TV broadcast: Star Sports Network (Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi).
Live streaming: JioHotstar (official digital streaming partner).
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Conclusion: IPL 2026 To Be Played On 13 Stadium Across India
IPL 2026 venues stretch across 13 stadiums in India, from the colossal Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
With split home grounds for three franchises, safety-driven capacity restrictions at Chinnaswamy, and election-linked schedule uncertainties, the venue story this season has more subplots than a Bollywood thriller.
Keep checking the official IPL website for the full second-phase schedule and any venue updates as the tournament unfolds.
