The IPL 2026 tournament desk
IPL 2026 starts in late March. The Fantoss tournament desk treats the league as a working dossier — schedule, squads, venue notes, captain picks per venue, weather forecasts and points-system tweaks. Pick the desk closest to the question you actually have.
At a glance
The schedule — 74 regular-season matches
Fixtures, venues, double-headers
The IPL 2026 schedule runs from late March to late May. 74 regular-season matches across 10 franchises, played at home and away venues. The schedule is published inside the lobby and on the IPL 2026 desk; double-headers and rain-reserve days are flagged.
Each match is mapped to a venue. Venue notes are published in the brief — pitch type, boundary size, average first-innings score, dew likelihood. The captain pick logic differs by venue; the desk surfaces the venue-specific captain pick in the brief.
The playoffs are four matches — Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final. The desk publishes a captain pick for each playoff match within 24 hours of the previous match.
Weather is the second variable. Overcast skies help the seamers; bright sunshine helps the batters. Dew is a factor in day-night matches — the side batting second gets a wet ball that is harder for the bowlers to grip.
A turning track (Chennai, Bengaluru) favours spinners and middle-order batters. A flat deck (Mumbai, Kolkata) favours top-order batters and death-over bowlers. A green seamer (Delhi, Lucknow) favours seamers and lower-order batters.
Each match is mapped to a venue. Venue notes are published in the brief — pitch type, boundary size, average first-innings score, dew likelihood. The captain pick logic differs by venue.
IPL 2026 runs from late March to late May. The schedule is published inside the lobby and on the IPL 2026 desk; double-headers and rain-reserve days are flagged.
The playoffs are four matches — Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final. The desk publishes a captain pick for each playoff match within 24 hours of the previous match.
The squads — verified 2026 rosters
Ten franchises, four overseas slots, fantasy roles
Ten franchises compete in IPL 2026. Each squad is verified against the official BCCI announcement and updated within 24 hours of any change. Overseas slots, fantasy roles and impact-player lists are tracked per franchise.
Overseas slots are critical for fantasy players. A franchise with four overseas slots can field four overseas players in the XI; the fifth is the impact player or sits out. The desk tracks which overseas player is likely to be benched in each match.
Fantasy roles are tracked per player. A player whose role changes from opener to middle-order batter has a different captain value; the desk surfaces role changes in the brief and in the live updates.
Each match is mapped to a venue. Venue notes are published in the brief — pitch type, boundary size, average first-innings score, dew likelihood. The captain pick logic differs by venue; the desk surfaces the venue-specific captain pick in the brief.
Weather is the second variable. Overcast skies help the seamers; bright sunshine helps the batters. Dew is a factor in day-night matches — the side batting second gets a wet ball that is harder for the bowlers to grip.
The playoffs are four matches — Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final. The desk publishes a captain pick for each playoff match within 24 hours of the previous match.
What is the impact-player rule? Each team can substitute one player from a list of four substitutes at any point during the match. The desk flags likely impact-player swaps in the brief.
How does the desk pick captains per venue? Anchored on role, form, match-up difficulty and venue split. The brief cites the relevant numbers.
Where can I find the squads? On each team's franchise page and on the Teams hub. The squads are verified against the BCCI press release.
Where can I read about a specific franchise? Each franchise has a dedicated page on the Fantoss app. The page lists the squad, the form, the venue splits and the default captain pick.
When does IPL 2026 start? Late March. The full schedule is published inside the lobby and on the IPL 2026 desk.
How many matches are in IPL 2026? 74 regular-season matches plus 4 playoff matches. Total 78 matches across the tournament.
Venue notes are published in the brief — pitch type, boundary size, average first-innings score, dew likelihood. The captain pick logic differs by venue; the desk surfaces the venue-specific captain pick in the brief.
A turning track (Chennai, Bengaluru) favours spinners and middle-order batters who can rotate strike. A flat deck (Mumbai, Kolkata) favours top-order batters and death-over bowlers.
The playoffs are four matches — Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the Final. The desk publishes a captain pick for each playoff match within 24 hours of the previous match.
Captain picks per venue
Venue notes — pitch, weather, dew
Venue notes are published in the brief — pitch type, boundary size, average first-innings score, dew likelihood. The captain pick logic differs by venue; the desk surfaces the venue-specific captain pick in the brief.
A turning track (Chennai, Bengaluru) favours spinners and middle-order batters who can rotate strike. A flat deck (Mumbai, Kolkata) favours top-order batters and death-over bowlers. A green seamer (Delhi, Lucknow) favours seamers and lower-order batters who can survive the new ball.
Weather is the second variable. Overcast skies help the seamers; bright sunshine helps the batters. Dew is a factor in day-night matches — the side batting second gets a wet ball that is harder for the bowlers to grip.
Frequently asked questions about IPL 2026
Frequently asked questions
When does IPL 2026 start?
Late March. The full schedule is published inside the lobby and on the IPL 2026 desk.
How many matches are in IPL 2026?
74 regular-season matches plus 4 playoff matches. Total 78 matches across the tournament.
Where can I find the squads?
On each team's franchise page and on the Teams hub. The squads are verified against the BCCI press release.
How does the desk pick captains per venue?
Anchored on role, form, match-up difficulty and venue split. The brief cites the relevant numbers.
What is the impact-player rule?
Each team can substitute one player from a list of four substitutes at any point during the match. The desk flags likely impact-player swaps in the brief.
Where can I read about a specific franchise?
Each franchise has a dedicated page on the Fantoss app. The page lists the squad, the form, the venue splits and the default captain pick.
