New Delhi, March 12: The 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) is set to begin on March 28. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the schedule for the first 16 days of the tournament.
The opening match of IPL 2026 will feature Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) facing off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Looking back, the first matches of the previous 18 seasons have seen various teams compete against each other. The inaugural match of IPL 2008 was held between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where KKR emerged victorious by 140 runs.
In IPL 2009, the first match was contested between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with MI winning by 19 runs. The trend continued with IPL 2010 featuring KKR against Deccan Chargers, where KKR won by 11 runs.
The first match of IPL 2011 saw CSK take on KKR, with CSK winning by just 2 runs. In 2012, MI defeated CSK by 8 wickets in their opening match. The 2013 season kicked off with Delhi Capitals (DC) facing KKR, where KKR won by 6 wickets.
The following years saw similar thrilling encounters, with MI and KKR often being key players in the opening matches. The IPL 2023 opener was between CSK and Gujarat Titans, with Gujarat winning by 5 wickets, while IPL 2024 saw CSK defeat RCB by 6 wickets.
As fans gear up for another exciting season, the anticipation for the opening match between RCB and SRH is palpable.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
