Kerala High Court dismisses PIL on IPL name; IPL 2026 to start March 28
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that questioned the use of the name “Indian Premier League” by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The petition was filed by Ashique Karoth, who identified himself as a social worker and claimed that the BCCI’s T20 league was using the title illegally.
A division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M observed that the petitioner had only recently come to realise that the IPL is not an official national cricket tournament, even though it has existed for a long time. The judges stated that they found no merit in the argument and therefore did not consider it appropriate to continue the writ petition as a PIL.
In another development, the Karnataka government has given formal approval for IPL 2026 matches to be held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Permission has been granted to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), bringing an end to months of uncertainty after a stampede that followed RCB’s first title win.
According to the official schedule, the 19th season of the IPL will begin on March 28. Defending champions RCB will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
IPL 2026 Schedule (First Set of Matches)
| Match | Date | Day | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28/03/26 | Sat | RCB vs SRH | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 2 | 29/03/26 | Sun | MI vs KKR | Mumbai | 19:30 |
| 3 | 30/03/26 | Mon | RR vs CSK | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 4 | 31/03/26 | Tue | PBKS vs GT | Chandigarh | 19:30 |
| 5 | 01/04/26 | Wed | LSG vs DC | Lucknow | 19:30 |
| 6 | 02/04/26 | Thu | KKR vs SRH | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 7 | 03/04/26 | Fri | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 8 | 04/04/26 | Sat | DC vs MI | Delhi | 15:30 |
| 9 | 04/04/26 | Sat | GT vs RR | Ahmedabad | 19:30 |
| 10 | 05/04/26 | Sun | SRH vs LSG | Hyderabad | 15:30 |
| 11 | 05/04/26 | Sun | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru | 19:30 |
| 12 | 06/04/26 | Mon | KKR vs PBKS | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 13 | 07/04/26 | Tue | RR vs MI | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 14 | 08/04/26 | Wed | DC vs GT | Delhi | 19:30 |
| 15 | 09/04/26 | Thu | KKR vs LSG | Kolkata | 19:30 |
| 16 | 10/04/26 | Fri | RR vs RCB | Guwahati | 19:30 |
| 17 | 11/04/26 | Sat | PBKS vs SRH | Chandigarh | 15:30 |
| 18 | 11/04/26 | Sat | CSK vs DC | Chennai | 19:30 |
| 19 | 12/04/26 | Sun | LSG vs GT | Lucknow | 15:30 |
| 20 | 12/04/26 | Sun | MI vs RCB | Mumbai | 19:30 |
The governing body is expected to announce the second set of fixtures soon.
FAQs
When will IPL 2026 begin?
IPL 2026 will begin on March 28, 2026, according to the official schedule.
Which teams will play the opening match of IPL 2026?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first match.
Where will the first match of IPL 2026 be played?
The opening match will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Which court dismissed the PIL related to IPL name?
The Kerala High Court dismissed the public interest litigation.
Who filed the PIL against the IPL name?
The PIL was filed by Ashique Karoth.
Also Read : ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Full Schedule, Teams, Venues and Key Details