Virat Kohli and Stars Discuss T20 Impact Live on Sky Sports

The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League runs from March 28 to May 31, 2026. All 84 matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Only the first 20 fixtures have been released because state elections delayed the full calendar.

Teams and past champions

Ten franchises will contest the tournament. Several teams have historic titles to their name.

• Chennai Super Kings — champions in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
• Delhi Capitals — still awaiting a first title.
• Gujarat Titans — winners in 2022.
• Kolkata Knight Riders — champions in 2012, 2014 and 2024.
• Lucknow Super Giants — yet to win the IPL.
• Mumbai Indians — five-time winners in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
• Punjab Kings — yet to secure an IPL crown.
• Rajasthan Royals — inaugural winners in 2008.
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 2025 champions.
• Sunrisers Hyderabad — winners in 2016.

Opening match and the defending champions

The season opens on March 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Sunrisers Hyderabad.

RCB enter as defending champions after beating Punjab Kings in the 2025 final. UK and Ireland viewers have a listed 3pm start time for many fixtures.

English players and availability

Thirteen England players were initially retained, traded, or bought. Ben Duckett later withdrew from a Delhi deal to prioritise his England place.

Sam Curran, traded to Rajasthan, will miss the tournament with an unspecified injury. David Payne joined Sunrisers as a replacement for Jack Edwards. That leaves 12 English players across the 10 franchises at present.

• Gujarat Titans: Jos Buttler, Tom Banton, Luke Wood.
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox.
• Sunrisers Hyderabad: Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, David Payne.
• Rajasthan Royals: Jofra Archer and others.
• Chennai Super Kings: Jamie Overton.
• Mumbai Indians: Will Jacks.

Players and storylines to follow

Virat Kohli will again be among the headline attractions. Several members of India’s recent T20 World Cup-winning squad will also feature.

Jos Buttler’s form will be watched closely. He managed 87 runs in eight T20 World Cup innings at an average of 10.87. Yet he has over 4,000 IPL runs and seven centuries in his career.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi remains a major talking point. Signed as a 13-year-old, he starred at 14. He hit his first IPL delivery for six and scored 101 off 38 balls. That marked the second-fastest IPL century behind Chris Gayle. He also struck 175 off 80 in the Under-19 World Cup final against England.

Other notable names include Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya at Mumbai. Finn Allen is with Kolkata Knight Riders. Cameron Green is at KKR after a £2.09m auction buy, the highest fee for an overseas player.

Mitchell Starc plays for Delhi. Pat Cummins is expected to return from injury for Sunrisers at some stage. Political tensions affected squad composition too. Mustafizur Rahman was withdrawn from Kolkata’s squad by the BCCI. He later signed for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, which overlaps the IPL schedule.

Blessing Muzarabani replaced Mustafizur at KKR, after pulling out of a PSL deal. Dasun Shanaka also left the PSL to join Rajasthan as cover for the injured Sam Curran.

Expect expert TV analysis. Segments such as Stars Discuss T20 Impact Live on Sky Sports will break down tactics and performances.

Competition format

A win earns two points. A loss yields none. A no-result gives both sides one point.

Teams are listed in one table but are treated as two virtual groups of five. Each team plays its four group rivals twice. They then play four teams from the other pool once and one team twice.

Play-off structure

The top four finishers qualify for the play-offs. First and second contest Qualifier 1. The winner goes straight to the final.

The loser of Qualifier 1 gets another chance in Qualifier 2. Third and fourth play the Eliminator. The Eliminator winner faces the Qualifier 1 loser in Qualifier 2. The winner of Qualifier 2 reaches the final.

First 20 fixtures (UK/Ireland times)

The early schedule runs from March 28 to April 12. All matches below are live on Sky Sports.

Filmogaz.com will provide match previews and reaction throughout the tournament. Sky Sports will carry live coverage and expert discussion. Fans can follow both outlets for team news and analysis.