The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the schedule for 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is scheduled to begin on 28th March 2026. The tournament opener will be defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. Further, due to elections, BCCI hasn't released the full schedule, and it is only released for the first 20 days.
Three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will start their season against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Post that, the franchise will play three back-to-back matches at their home venue, Eden Gardens in Kolkata. With the elections around the corner, the schedule has been made in such a way that many teams play 2 or 3 matches together at the same venue.
Here are Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) IPL 2026 fixtures
|
Match |
Date |
Opponent |
Venue |
|
Match 2 |
29 Mar 2026 |
Mumbai Indians |
Mumbai |
|
Match 6 |
2 Apr 2026 |
Sunrisers Hyderabad |
Kolkata |
|
Match 12 |
6 Apr 2026 |
Punjab Kings |
Kolkata |
|
Match 15 |
9 Apr 2026 |
Lucknow Super Giants |
Kolkata |
Three Home Matches for Kolkata Knight Riders in Phase 1 of IPL 2026
Kolkata Knight Riders will be up against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 2 April, Punjab Kings on 6 April and Lucknow Super Giants on 9 April at the Eden Gardens. KKR, started well last year - lost the momentum in the middle, eventually not making it to the playoffs of IPL 2025, will continue under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane. Further, Abhishek Nayar has been appointed as the head coach of KKR. Dishant Yagnik, who was earlier a part of Rajasthan Royals has taken up a fielding coach role with the franchise.
IPL 2026 First 20 Matches Schedule
| Match No. | Date | Day | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 Mar 2026 | Saturday | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
| 2 | 29 Mar 2026 | Sunday | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai |
| 3 | 30 Mar 2026 | Monday | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Guwahati |
| 4 | 31 Mar 2026 | Tuesday | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Mullanpur |
| 5 | 1 Apr 2026 | Wednesday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Lucknow |
| 6 | 2 Apr 2026 | Thursday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata |
| 7 | 3 Apr 2026 | Friday | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Chennai |
| 8 | 4 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| 9 | 4 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals | Ahmedabad |
| 10 | 5 Apr 2026 | Sunday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Lucknow Super Giants | Hyderabad |
| 11 | 5 Apr 2026 | Sunday | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings | Bengaluru |
| 12 | 6 Apr 2026 | Monday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | Kolkata |
| 13 | 7 Apr 2026 | Tuesday | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | Guwahati |
| 14 | 8 Apr 2026 | Wednesday | Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans | Delhi |
| 15 | 9 Apr 2026 | Thursday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants | Kolkata |
| 16 | 10 Apr 2026 | Friday | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Guwahati |
| 17 | 11 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mullanpur |
| 18 | 11 Apr 2026 | Saturday | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | Chennai |
| 19 | 12 Apr 2026 | Sunday | Lucknow Super Giants vs Gujarat Titans | Lucknow |
| 20 | 12 Apr 2026 | Sunday | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Mumbai |
