With just days to go before the curtain rises on the Indian Premier League 2026 season, anticipation is building among fans worldwide for what promises to be another high-octane edition of cricket’s most lucrative T20 competition.

The 2026 campaign is set to get underway on Saturday, March 28, meaning there are less than five days remaining until the opening match.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will host Sunrisers Hyderabad in Bengaluru, kicking off a tournament expected to deliver fresh rivalries, emerging stars, and dramatic finishes.

New leadership shift at Sunrisers

In one of the major developments ahead of the new season, Sunrisers Hyderabad—champions of the 2016 edition—have appointed Ishan Kishan as interim captain. The decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his recovery from injury and is set to miss the opening matches.

Kishan, 27, arrives at the leadership role on the back of strong recent form and growing stature in international cricket. The explosive left-handed batter was a key contributor to India’s victorious campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and has quickly become one of the most dynamic players in the shortest format.

He joined Sunrisers for INR 11.25 crore (about $1.2 million) during the mega auction ahead of the 2025 season and made an immediate impact.

Last season, Kishan scored 354 runs in 14 matches at an average of 35.40, maintaining an impressive strike rate of 152.58. He also announced himself in style with a blistering unbeaten 106 off just 47 deliveries in his debut match against Rajasthan Royals.

Young Indian talent Abhishek Sharma has been named vice-captain and will support Kishan in leading the side during the early phase of the tournament.

Opening clash and season expectations

Sunrisers face a tough start as they take on the defending champions RCB in the tournament opener, a match that is already generating significant buzz. With several teams undergoing squad reshuffles and strategic changes following recent auctions, IPL 2026 is expected to showcase a new competitive balance across franchises.

Broadcast details for Afghanistan

Fans in Afghanistan will be able to follow every moment of the action live, as Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) holds exclusive broadcasting rights for the tournament in the country. Matches will be aired live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

Viewers are also encouraged to follow Ariana TV and Ariana News across social media platforms for the latest updates, breaking news, and in-depth coverage throughout the tournament.

Ireland cricket officials have announced that they will host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series from August 5–14.

Other international teams including Australia and England have either cancelled or avoided scheduling bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021. 

“Cricket Ireland has made a decision to play Afghanistan in Belfast this year,” CI chief executive Sarah Keane said on Friday. “I’m not going to fob you off by saying that there’s financial reasons and there’s legal reasons. There aren’t. This has been a decision by Cricket Ireland in what it believes is the best interest of the organisation as a whole, and the decision was made by the board this week.”