The opening match of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League will see defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The fixture marks the return of the iconic venue to hosting major matches after it was temporarily barred following the tragic stampede during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s victory celebrations last year, an incident that resulted in the deaths of 11 fans.
Following the incident, the Government of Karnataka imposed restrictions on the stadium hosting matches. As a result, the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup final was shifted from Bengaluru to Navi Mumbai. The city also did not host any matches during the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the IPL governing council is yet to release the complete schedule for the tournament, with the delay reportedly linked to state elections scheduled for April and May.
Elections are set to be held in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam — all of which are home to key IPL venues. Kolkata Knight Riders play their home matches in Kolkata, while Chennai Super Kings are based in Chennai. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals host some of their home fixtures in Guwahati.
The tournament will feature double-headers on weekends, with the afternoon match scheduled to begin at 3:30 PM local time, while all evening fixtures will start at 7:30 PM IST.
