2026 IPL
Hello, fellow Cricket Enthusiasts,
So, few weeks after the T20I World Cup, now we are back with Franchise leagues. And the biggest one of them, The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season has already started with a lot of excitement. We know for its star players, strong competition, and thrilling encounters which has caused to attract high popularity from the Cricket fans. So, let's see what happening there
This is the 19th edition of the tournament, which was started in 2008. Ten teams will be competed in 74 matches from 28 March to 31 May across 13 venues.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are the defending champions, who lifted their maiden title defeating Punjab Kings in the final last year after years of waiting.
A few months ago, I shared about the IPL MEGA Auction which was held in held on December 16, 2025 in Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi.
So, with those auctions, and minor changes, we have 10 strong teams who are competing for the trophy.
| Group | Team | 2024 performance | Head coach | Captain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Chennai Super Kings | 10th | Stephen Fleming | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| A | Kolkata Knight Riders | 8th | Abhishek Nayar | Ajinkya Rahane |
| A | Punjab Kings | Runners-up | Ricky Ponting | Shreyas Iyer |
| A | Rajasthan Royals | 9th | Kumar Sangakkara | Riyan Parag[ |
| A | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Champions | Andy Flower | Rajat Patidar |
| B | Delhi Capitals | 5th | Hemang Badani | Axar Patel |
| B | Gujarat Titans | 4th | Ashish Nehra | Shubman Gill |
| B | Lucknow Super Giants | 7th | Justin Langer | Rishabh Pant |
| B | Mumbai Indians | 3rd | Mahela Jayawardene | Hardik Pandya |
| B | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 6th | Daniel Vettori | Pat Cummins |
You can see the full squads, from here.
There are some major changes in the teams, with some foreign players ruling out due to injuries and personl reasons. And also, Sanju Samson was released to CSK from RR, while Jadeja experienced the other way around. KL Rahul from LSG was swapped to DC with Rishab Pant. They were key and main figures in the initial teams.
As you see the ten teams have been divided into two groups. Each team will play once against the teams in their group and twice against the teams in the other group. So, overall there will be 14 matches per team in the Group stage, 7 home, and 7 away.
After the league matches are finished, the top four teams in the points table move on to the playoffs.
The format is quite simple. The teams that finish first and second play against each other in Qualifier 1. The winner of this match goes straight to the final. The loser is not eliminated and gets another chance.
The teams that finish third and fourth play in the Eliminator. In this match, the losing team is knocked out of the tournament, while the winner moves forward.
Next comes Qualifier 2. Here, the loser of Qualifier 1 plays against the winner of the Eliminator. The team that wins this match secures the second spot in the final.
Finally, the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 meet in the final to decide the champion.
- The tournament has been already started with the perfect set up. Youi can see the full schedule, from here.
- So, we are already in the early stage of the tournament, and there are many exciting things to come. So, what's your predictions for this year?
Sources
So, that's it for today!! Until the next time! Enjoy!
Thank you.
Best Regards!
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