RCB Schedule IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru will start their IPL 2026 season against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at 7:30 PM IST in Bengaluru. This is the opening match of their title defence at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The team is already facing some issues before the first game. Josh Hazlewood will miss the opener as he is still recovering from hamstring and Achilles injuries and is waiting for clearance. He was their top bowler last season with 22 wickets, so his absence weakens the pace attack early on.
RCB Schedule IPL 2026: Full schedule
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play 14 matches in IPL 2026 across 7 venues, starting on March 28 and ending league stage on May 22. Their season begins at home against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru. They then face Chennai Super Kings on April 5 in what is their only meeting this season.
A big early away test comes against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on April 12. They also travel to Guwahati, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Dharamshala, and Hyderabad, making it a heavy travel schedule.
At home, they play five matches in Bengaluru, including games against Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Gujarat Titans. For the first time, they will also play two home games in Raipur. These matches are against Mumbai Indians on May 10 and Kolkata Knight Riders on May 13.
The final phase is tough. Their last three matches are all away, including a game in Dharamshala against Punjab Kings and the final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad. There are also two afternoon games at 3:30 PM, one against Delhi Capitals on April 18 and one against Punjab Kings on May 17.
One squad update is that Nuwan Thushara is ruled out of the full season due to fitness issues and not getting NOC. Their pace attack will now depend more on Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal.
| Date | Match | Venue | Time |
| March 28 | RCB vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| April 5 | RCB vs Chennai Super Kings | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| April 10 | Rajasthan Royals vs RCB | Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati | 7:30 PM |
| April 12 | Mumbai Indians vs RCB | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 7:30 PM |
| April 15 | RCB vs Lucknow Super Giants | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| April 18 | RCB vs Delhi Capitals | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 3:30 PM |
| April 24 | RCB vs Gujarat Titans | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru | 7:30 PM |
| April 27 | Delhi Capitals vs RCB | Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi | 7:30 PM |
| April 30 | Gujarat Titans vs RCB | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | 7:30 PM |
| May 7 | Lucknow Super Giants vs RCB | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 7:30 PM |
| May 10 | RCB vs Mumbai Indians | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur | 7:30 PM |
| May 13 | RCB vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, Raipur | 7:30 PM |
| May 17 | Punjab Kings vs RCB | HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala | 3:30 PM |
| May 22 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs RCB | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | 7:30 PM |
RCB Schedule IPL 2026: Live streaming details
In India, matches are shown on Star Sports Network across multiple channels like Star Sports 1, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Live streaming is available on the JioHotstar app and website. It supports many languages including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Haryanvi. Subscription plans start from ₹79 per month for mobile and go up to ₹299 for 4K streaming.
In the USA and Canada, matches are broadcast on Willow TV, with streaming available through its app, along with Fubo and Sling TV. Match timings are morning, around 10:00 AM ET for evening games.
In the United Kingdom, coverage is on Sky Sports channels like Sky Sports Cricket, with streaming through Sky Go and the Sky Sports app. In Australia, matches are shown on Fox Cricket and streamed on Kayo Sports. Evening IPL matches usually start around 1:00 AM AEDT. In New Zealand, coverage is handled by Sky Sport NZ, with streaming on Sky Go NZ and Sky Sport Now.
FAQs
Q. When will RCB start their IPL 2026 season?
A. RCB will start their season on March 28 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru.
Q. Why will Josh Hazlewood miss the first match?
A. Josh Hazlewood will miss it because he is still recovering from injuries and waiting for clearance.
Q. Which player is ruled out for the full season?
A. Nuwan Thushara is ruled out due to fitness issues and no clearance.
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