NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League 2026 will get underway with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the opening match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 28.The schedule for the first phase of the tournament — from March 28 to April 12 — was announced on Wednesday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced,” BCCI said in a statement.The 19th edition of the world’s biggest T20 league will feature 20 matches in the first phase across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.During this phase, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and evening games starting at 07:30 PM IST.The first double-header of the season will take place on April 4, when Delhi Capitals take on Mumbai Indians in the afternoon match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by Gujarat Titans facing Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.Rajasthan Royals will start their home campaign in Guwahati, where they will host Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, will play their early home fixtures at the PCA Stadium.During the season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play five home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. Punjab Kings will play four home matches in New Chandigarh and three in Dharamsala, while Rajasthan Royals will split their home fixtures between Guwahati and Jaipur.BCCI also clarified that the matches scheduled in Bengaluru will depend on clearance from a government-appointed expert committee.“The matches scheduled in Bengaluru are subject to clearance from the Expert Committee constituted by the Government of Karnataka. The committee will conduct a meeting and inspection of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 13, 2026, during which a full-scale mock demonstration of match-day arrangements will be carried out to assess the stadium’s preparedness for hosting IPL matches.”

IPL 2026: Team-wise schedule

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)

Mumbai Indians (MI)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Punjab Kings (PBKS)

Delhi Capitals (DC)

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

Gujarat Titans (GT)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

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Veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni has once again become the centre of attention ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after joining the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp for pre-season training in Chennai. With captain Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the preparations, the five-time champions have begun their build-up for what they hope will be a strong comeback season after a disappointing campaign last year.

Dhoni has been actively training with the squad and looked in good rhythm during the sessions, but the biggest talking point surrounding the franchise remains his availability for the upcoming season. As speculation continues to swirl around his role and workload, fans are eager to know whether the legendary cricketer will feature throughout the entire IPL 2026 campaign for CSK.

CSK CEO opens up on MS Dhoni’s availability for IPL 2026

Amid the growing speculation, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has now provided clarity on Dhoni’s availability for the upcoming season. Speaking to reporters in Chennai on Wednesday, Viswanathan confirmed that the legendary cricketer is expected to feature throughout the IPL 2026 campaign.

“He will play the matches, all matches,” Viswanathan said, putting an end to rumours that Dhoni might skip part of the season or take on a limited role.

However, the franchise is yet to finalize the exact role Dhoni will play in the team. Viswanathan explained that such decisions will be taken by the coaching staff depending on the team’s requirements during the tournament.

“I can’t say. That’s a cricketing decision which will be taken by the cricketing staff, not by the administrative staff. They will decide whether he is going to play as a batter, or a wicketkeeper-batter or as an Impact Player,” he added.

CSK aiming to bounce back after difficult season

The IPL 2026 season holds special importance for CSK as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign. For the first time since the league began in 2008, CSK finished at the bottom of the points table, a result that shocked fans and analysts alike.

With Gaikwad continuing as captain and Dhoni providing guidance and experience, the franchise will be eager to rediscover the consistency that made them one of the most successful teams in IPL history.

Also READ: Yellove reloaded: CSK unveil striking new jersey for IPL 2026 in grand style

High expectations from T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson

One of the biggest storylines heading into the season is the arrival of Sanju Samson, who recently played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph.

Samson enjoyed a sensational tournament, scoring 321 runs and finishing as the third-highest run-scorer while maintaining a remarkable strike rate of 199.37. His performances earned him the Player of the Tournament award and further cemented his reputation as one of the most destructive T20 batters. The wicketkeeper-batter joined CSK in a blockbuster trade that saw Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran move to Rajasthan Royals.

Also READ: Not CSK! Amit Mishra predicts the top 4 of IPL 2026

India has deplored the attack on the Thai-flagged cargo ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Strait of Hormuz, while confirming the ship was bound for Kandla port, Gujarat. It condemned the commercial ship being made a target amid the ongoing conflict.The ministry of external affairs, in a statement, said that targeting the Thai cargo ship and endangering the lives of innocent civilians should be avoided. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared the stance on X with the caption, “Statement regarding ship bound for Kandla, India.”It said, “We have seen reports about the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Straits of Hormuz on 11 March. The ship was bound for Kandla in India. India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia.”It also denounced the innocent lives lost in the recent attacks, which included two Indians, while one went missing, and criticised the increasing intensity of the attacks.“Precious lives, including those of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict, and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seem to be increasing,” it said.It further urged the exclusion of commercial ships from the attacks.“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the statement read.A Thailand-flagged commercial ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, which was headed to India. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later claimed responsibility for the attack. The Thai transport ministry, in a statement, said that three of the 23 crew members on board were missing.

Monalisa Bhosle, who shot to internet fame during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, has married her boyfriend Farman Khan in Kerala after approaching the police following opposition from her family. The couple tied the knot at the Nainar Temple.

Monalisa Bhosle, who shot to internet fame during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, has married her boyfriend Farman Khan in Kerala after approaching the police following opposition from her family. The couple tied the knot at the Nainar Temple.

Approached police amid family opposition

The development comes days after Monalisa reportedly sought help at the Thampanoor Police Station, stating that her family was against the relationship and that her father was trying to take her back to their hometown against her wishes.According to police officials, Monalisa and Farman arrived at the station along with members of a film crew she was working with in Kerala. During the interaction, she reportedly told officers that she intended to stay with her partner and proceed with the marriage despite her family’s objections.A police officer was quoted as saying by India Today, “She insisted that she will not go with her father and made it clear that she plans to marry her boyfriend. Since she is a major, she has the right to make her own decisions.”Officials added that there was no need for police intervention as both individuals are adults. After the discussion, Monalisa left the station with her boyfriend and members of the film crew, while her father later returned to his hometown.

Wedding held at Nainar Temple

The couple later solemnised their marriage at the Nainar Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. Several political leaders were reportedly present at the ceremony, including V Sivankutty, MV Govindan and AA Rahim.Speaking at the venue, Rahim said the marriage reflected the constitutional right that allows individuals from different faiths to marry.“The Constitution allows people from different religions to marry. We came here to celebrate the couple,” he said.

‘Ours is a six-month love story’

After the wedding, Monalisa expressed happiness about the new chapter in her life and said the couple chose Kerala as the venue because they liked the state.Farman also spoke briefly about their relationship, saying, “Ours is a six-month love story, but it feels like sixty years. I am also an actor.”

From viral Kumbh Mela video to nationwide attention

Monalisa first drew attention during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj when a video of her selling rudraksha garlands was captured by a content creator and went viral on social media, turning her into an internet sensation. The Indore-based woman later travelled to Kerala for a film shoot. Police said the couple had been staying in Poovar near Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the project when the dispute with her family surfaced. Despite the initial resistance, Monalisa and Farman eventually went ahead with their wedding plans in the state.

India’s purchases of Russian crude have surged about 50% in March as refiners move to secure alternative supplies amid disruptions to shipments from the Middle East due to the widening military conflict. Ship-tracking data showed imports rising to around 1.5 million barrels per day this month from 1.04 million bpd in February.India–the world’s third-largest crude importer — meets about 88% of its oil needs through imports. The country consumes nearly 5.8 million barrels per day, with 2.5-2.7 million barrels traditionally sourced from Middle East producers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE through the Strait of Hormuz, PTI reported.

The chokepoint also handles roughly 55% of India’s cooking gas (LPG) imports and 30% of liquefied natural gas supplies used for power generation, fertilisers, CNG and household consumption. With shipments through the strait largely disrupted, refiners have increasingly turned to Russian barrels to plug supply gaps.“India was expected to import around 2.6 million barrels per day of crude via the Strait of Hormuz in March. At the same time, we are seeing a notable pickup in Russian barrels.“Based on vessel tracking and credible market sources, incremental Russian crude imports in March could reach 1-1.2 million bpd (over and above the February volumes), which means the effective shortfall from Hormuz exposure narrows to around 1.6 million bpd,” said Sumit Ritolia, analyst at Kpler, quoted PTI.India’s refining sector has also helped cushion supply concerns. Net refined product exports averaged about 1.1 million bpd in 2025, and companies have intensified efforts to diversify crude sourcing from alternative suppliers.“Crude supply risk can be partially mitigated through diversification, and Russia flows. Refined product supply remains relatively comfortable,” Ritolia said, adding that LPG availability remains the key variable to watch in the coming weeks.India consumes nearly 1 million bpd of LPG, of which only 40-45% is produced domestically while the remaining 55-60% is imported. Around 80-90% of these imports typically transit through the Strait of Hormuz, making the supply chain particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the region.“Refineries can optimise LPG output by shifting feedstocks away from petrochemical production toward LPG recovery and by adjusting unit operations to maximise LPG yields,” he said. “That said, such optimisation can only provide marginal incremental supply and cannot materially reduce India’s reliance on LPG imports.”Even if domestic output rises by 10-20% through such optimisation, supply would still meet only about 47-50% of total demand, leaving a sizeable gap that must be bridged through imports. Ritolia noted that sourcing LPG from suppliers outside the Middle East is possible but involves longer voyage times, slowing replacement of disrupted cargoes.“The Strait of Hormuz is also a critical route for global LPG trade, and any disruption in the area immediately raises risks for LPG supply and shipping flows.“A large share of LPG exports from the Middle East — particularly from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — passes through Hormuz, making the chokepoint vital for Asian importers,” he said. “India is one of the world’s largest LPG importers and relies heavily on Middle Eastern supply, meaning any disruption in the region could tighten availability for the country.”India’s LPG consumption is estimated at about 900-1000 kilo bpd, of which roughly 600 kbd is imported. Of these imports, nearly 80-90% originate from the Middle East, underscoring the strategic sensitivity of energy flows through the Hormuz corridor.