The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the first 20 days schedule for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The tournament will begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.

Punjab Kings will begin their campaign on 31 March, when they host Gujarat Titans at their home venue in New Chandigarh. The franchise will play four matches in the first 20 days of the tournament, including two home games and two away fixtures.

In the initial phase of the tournament, PBKS will have a balanced schedule with important clashes against Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Their home matches will take place in New Chandigarh, which will once again serve as the primary home ground for the franchise this season.

Punjab Kings will kick off their season with a home fixture against Gujarat Titans on March 31. After their opening match, PBKS will travel to Chennai to face Chennai Super Kings on April 3 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Following the clash in Chennai, the team will head to Kolkata to play against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 6 at Eden Gardens. Punjab Kings will then return to their home venue in New Chandigarh to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 11 in their final match of the first phase.

PBKS IPL 2026 Schedule

Match

Date

Opponent

Venue

Match 4

31 Mar 2026

Gujarat Titans

New Chandigarh

Match 7

3 Apr 2026

Chennai Super Kings

Chennai

Match 12

6 Apr 2026

Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata

Match 17

11 Apr 2026

Sunrisers Hyderabad

New Chandigarh

Punjab Kings Look to Make Strong Start in IPL 2026

Punjab Kings will be hoping to begin their IPL 2026 campaign on a positive note as they aim to improve their performance from previous seasons. With a mix of experienced players and exciting young talent in the squad, PBKS will look to build momentum early in the tournament.

The home matches in New Chandigarh are expected to attract strong support from fans, while away games against teams like Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will test the team early in the season.

With four crucial matches scheduled in the opening phase, Punjab Kings will be aiming to secure important points and establish their position in the standings before the tournament progresses further.

IPL 2026 First 20 Matches Schedule whatsapp image 2026 03 11 at 7 19 28 pm

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