The IPL 2026 groups stage promises another exciting season of high-intensity T20 cricket, featuring ten teams competing in a league format for a place in the playoffs.

With a mix of experienced stars and emerging talents, franchises will battle across multiple venues in India, aiming to build momentum early in the tournament.

Each team plays a set of matches against different opponents, making consistency and squad depth crucial in the race to the top four. The group stage not only sets the tone for the season but also plays a decisive role in determining playoff qualification, net run rate battles, and team strategies.

As the tournament progresses, fans can expect thrilling encounters, last-over finishes, and standout individual performances, making the IPL 2026 group stage a key phase in the journey toward the championship.

IPL 2026 Groups List

As per the IPL 2026 schedule, the first match will be played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 28 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Following are the details of the IPL 2026 Groups list:

How are the IPL teams grouped in 2026?

As per IPL 2026 rules, all 10 teams will play a total of 14 league matches (7 home matches and 7 away matches), totalling 70 league matches, followed by the 4 playoff matches.

In IPL 2026, every team faces all five teams from the opposite group twice (home and away). This is the opposite of the format used in recent years.

• Intergroup: 10 matches (playing each of the 5 team in the other group twice)
• Intragroup: 4 matches (playing each of the 4 teams in your own group once)

Some of the marquee clashes in the Indian Premier League 2026 season are scheduled to be played twice during the league stage. Notably, the iconic rivalry between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will feature two encounters on April 23 and May 2. Similarly, Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are also set to face each other twice, on April 12 and May 10.

On the other hand, certain rival teams placed within the same group will meet only once in the league phase. For instance, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are scheduled for a single clash, which will take place on April 5.

Group A Teams – Double Fixtures vs Group B

• Chennai Super Kings –> Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants
• Kolkata Knight Riders –> Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants
• Rajasthan Royals –> Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru –> Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants
• Punjab Kings –> Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants

Group B Teams – Double Fixtures vs Group A

• Mumbai Indians –> Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings
• Sunrisers Hyderabad –> Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings
• Gujarat Titans –> Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings
• Delhi Capitals –> Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings
• Lucknow Super Giants –> Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings

IPL 2026 Format

The IPL 2026 format is not something unfamiliar to the IPL cricket community. The format has been used in the last IPL season where the tournament is played with a total of 10 teams.

• The ten teams are divided into two groups of five.
• A random draw was used to determine the groups and who plays whom across the groups once and twice.
• In the group stage, each team plays 14 games facing the other five teams of the opposite group twice and once in their group.

IPL 2026 Group Stage Format

• The group stage forms the main league phase of the Indian Premier League 2026, where all teams compete to secure a place in the playoffs. The tournament is expected to feature 10 teams, with each team playing multiple matches against different opponents during the league stage.
• In the IPL 2026 group stage format, every team plays 14 league matches before the playoffs begin. These matches are played against different opponents in a mix of home and away fixtures, ensuring teams compete in various conditions across venues in India.

IPL 2026 Playoff Format

The playoffs consist of two Qualifiers and one Eliminator. Qualifier 1 is played first, followed by the Eliminator and then Qualifier 2.

Qualifier 1: The first Qualifier is played between the top two teams in the points table. The Qualifier is like a semi-final. The team winning this game goes straight to the IPL final. The loser of Qualifier 1 takes part in Qualifier 2 – for another shot at the final. Thus, the teams finishing in the top two spots of the points table get two bites of the cherry – they have two chances to qualify for the IPL final.

Eliminator: The Eliminator is played between teams who finish at the third and fourth position in the points table. Like the name suggests, the team losing this match is out of the competition. The winner of this match goes into Qualifier 2.

Qualifier 2: The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator play this game. This again is like a semi-final and the team winning this game moves into the final.

IPL Final: The final and the most crucial juncture of this prestigious competition is played between the winner of Qualifier 1 and the winner of Qualifier 2.

IPL 2026 Teams

Following are the details of the IPL 2026 participating teams:

• Punjab Kings
• Sunrisers Hyderabad
• Gujarat Titans
• Delhi Capitals
• Lucknow Super Giants
• Rajasthan Royals
• Royal Challengers Bengaluru
• Kolkata Knight Riders
• Chennai Super Kings
• Mumbai Indians