The IPL 2026 season starts on Saturday (March 28) – here’s how you can watch the tournament live.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won their maiden IPL title in 2025, defeating Punjab Kings in the final. They will begin the defence of their title against a Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) side that many have fancied to go all the way over the past couple of years. This season, too, the Hyderabad-based franchise, with an explosive batting line-up, is considered among the favourites to reach the play-offs.
RCB, meanwhile, have retained the core of the squad that won IPL 2025, but will be without Josh Hazlewood for the tournament opener. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal is also missing, with Mo Bobat, the franchise's director of cricket, announcing that he won't be joining the team this year. Dayal, notably, has been accused of rape and has ongoing court cases against him in India.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium, where an unfortunate stampede saw 11 fans lose their lives during RCB's IPL 2025 victory parade, was cleared to host games for the upcoming season after measures were taken to improve fan experience at the stadium, while some structural modifications were also incorporated. The ground will host the tournament opener, with a decision yet to be taken on the playoffs and the final.
Also read: RCB vs SRH, where to watch live
The Mumbai Indians will welcome Kolkata Knight Riders for the second IPL 2026 game at the Wankhede Stadium, while the Chennai Super Kings, temporarily without MS Dhoni, will begin their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. Last year's finalists, Punjab will face the Gujarat Titans, aiming to all go the way this time. Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals will complete the first set of games.
Find the full schedule of the IPL 2026 here.
All the evening games at IPL 2026 have been scheduled to start at 7.30pm local time (2pm GMT), while the afternoon games will begin at 3.30pm local time (10am GMT). All 74 matches will be televised and streamed live online across the world.
IPL 2026 live score of today's game
Match 1: RCB vs SRH
Match 1, Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
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IPL 2026, where to watch live: TV channels and live streaming for Indian Premier League
Where to watch in India
The IPL 2026 will be televised across India on the Star Sports network, with its many channels covering all 74 games in 12 languages, including English. Live stream of all the games will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
Where to watch in the UK
Fans in the UK can watch live action from IPL 2026 on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event. Live stream of the tournament will be available on Sky Go, while non-Sky customers can stream all the games on NOW TV.
Where to watch in the USA and Canada
The IPL 2026 season will be available to watch on TV for fans in the USA and Canada on Willow TV. The Willow TV app will provide live streaming of all 74 matches, and can also be accessed through Fubo and Sling TV.
Where to watch in Australia
Fans in Australia can watch live IPL 2026 action on TV on Fox Cricket, while Foxtel will stream the matches ad-free. Live streaming of the tournament will also be available on Kayo Sports.
Where to watch in South Africa
The IPL 2026 will be available on SuperSport for fans in South Africa. SS Cricket, channel no. 212, will televise the tournament opener between Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Where to watch in Afghanistan
Fans in Afghanistan can watch live action from IPL 2026 on the Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN).
Where to watch in New Zealand
TV coverage of all 74 IPL 2026 matches will be available on Sky Sports NZ.
Where to watch in Sri Lanka
Fans in Sri Lanka can live stream all IPL 2026 action on ThePapare.com.
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