Franchise T20 league · India
IPL 2026 · fixtures, standings and coverage
Fixtures, standings and the impact-player rule explained as it sits after the latest rules committee update.
Format
The Indian Premier League is the top-tier Indian franchise T20 competition, contested by ten franchise teams across the March-to-May window. The auction is held in December, with the trade window running through January. The season is split into a league phase and a knockout phase, with the top four qualifying for the playoffs.
This season, the rules committee updated the impact-player rule: a franchise may name four overseas players in the squad but only four may be selected in the XI. The strategic implication is that franchises are choosing between an extra batter and an extra bowler in the XI, with the toss-to-context decision becoming more important.
Fixtures
| Round | Date | Fixture | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match 1 | 22 Mar | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers | W 5 wkts |
| Match 2 | 23 Mar | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | W 6 wkts |
| Match 3 | 23 Mar | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals | L by 8 runs |
| Match 4 | 24 Mar | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings | Preview |
Standings
| Pos | Club / Player | P | W | D | L | GD / Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mumbai Indians | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Chennai Super Kings | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Royal Challengers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |