Punjab Kings enter IPL 2026 under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer, who arrives at the franchise after leading Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title in 2024 and brings with him a proven winning culture and tactical acumen that Punjab Kings have lacked in recent seasons. PBKS open their campaign on March 31 at their home ground in New Chandigarh against Gujarat Titans. Here is the complete match-by-match schedule for Punjab Kings across the full IPL 2026 league stage.
PBKS IPL 2026 — Key Details
Captain: Shreyas Iyer. Home venues: Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Chandigarh and HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala. Total league stage matches: 14. Live streaming: JioHotstar. TV broadcast: Star Sports.
PBKS Complete IPL 2026 Match Schedule
Match 1: March 31, Tuesday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, New Chandigarh. Home match. PBKS season opener.
Match 2: April 3, Friday, 7:30 PM — Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai. Away match.
Match 3: April 6, Monday, 7:30 PM — Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata. Away match. Shreyas Iyer returns to Eden Gardens for the first time as opposition captain.
Match 4: April 11, Saturday, 3:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, New Chandigarh. Home match. Afternoon fixture.
Match 5: April 16, Thursday, 7:30 PM — Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Mumbai. Away match.
Match 6: April 17, Friday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, New Chandigarh. Home match.
Match 7: April 24, Friday, 7:30 PM — Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Dharamsala. Away match.
Match 8: April 25, Saturday, 3:30 PM — Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Delhi. Away match. Afternoon fixture.
Match 9: April 28, Tuesday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, New Chandigarh. Home match.
Match 10: April 29, Wednesday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, New Chandigarh. Home match.
Match 11: May 3, Sunday, 7:30 PM — Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings, Ahmedabad. Away match. Afternoon fixture.
Match 12: May 6, Wednesday, 7:30 PM — Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Hyderabad. Away match.
Match 13: May 11, Monday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Dharamsala. Home match at scenic secondary venue.
Match 14: May 14, Thursday, 7:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Dharamsala. Home match at secondary venue.
Match 15: May 16, Saturday, 3:30 PM — Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Dharamsala. Home match at secondary venue. Afternoon fixture.
Match 16: May 23, Saturday, 7:30 PM — Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, Lucknow. Away match. Final league stage fixture.
PBKS Home Matches at a Glance
Punjab Kings play their home matches across two venues in IPL 2026. The majority of their home fixtures take place at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, one of the newest and most modern cricket venues in India with a capacity of approximately 33,000. Home fixtures at New Chandigarh fall on March 31, April 11, April 17, April 28, and April 29.
Three home matches are scheduled at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on May 11, May 14, and May 16. The Dharamsala fixtures represent some of the most anticipated matches of the entire IPL 2026 calendar. Situated at an altitude of approximately 1,457 metres in the Kangra Valley with the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Himalayas forming a breathtaking backdrop, the HPCA Stadium is widely considered the most visually stunning cricket venue in the world. Matches at Dharamsala carry an atmosphere unlike any other IPL venue, with the high altitude affecting ball behaviour and the mountain setting creating conditions that visiting teams consistently find challenging to adapt to.
The three consecutive Dharamsala home fixtures across May 11, 14, and 16 give Punjab Kings a powerful home stretch at a venue where they have a genuine competitive advantage through familiarity with the conditions.
PBKS Away Fixtures Summary
Punjab Kings play seven away matches across six different cities. Chennai hosts CSK vs PBKS on April 3. Kolkata hosts KKR vs PBKS on April 6, Shreyas Iyer’s emotional return to Eden Gardens. Mumbai hosts MI vs PBKS on April 16. Delhi hosts DC vs PBKS on April 25. Ahmedabad hosts GT vs PBKS on May 3. Hyderabad hosts SRH vs PBKS on May 6. Lucknow hosts LSG vs PBKS on May 23, the final league stage fixture.
Shreyas Iyer Returns to Eden Gardens
The April 6 away fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens is the most emotionally charged individual match in Punjab Kings’ entire schedule. Shreyas Iyer captained KKR to the IPL title in 2024 and built a deep connection with the Eden Gardens crowd and the KKR fanbase during his time at the franchise. Returning to Eden Gardens as the opposition captain, leading Punjab Kings against his former team in front of a crowd that celebrated him as a champion, is one of the most compelling personal storylines of IPL 2026.
The reception Iyer receives from the Eden Gardens faithful, whether warmly nostalgic or competitively hostile, and his performance with bat and as captain against his former team will be among the most watched moments of the tournament’s early weeks.
The Dharamsala Home Stretch
Punjab Kings’ three consecutive home fixtures at Dharamsala across May 11, 14, and 16 represent one of the most distinctive scheduling clusters in IPL 2026. Three matches in six days at the same venue, against Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru respectively, give PBKS a concentrated opportunity to accumulate crucial points at a venue where their home advantage is maximised.
The Dharamsala pitch, influenced by the high altitude and the mountain climate, produces batting conditions that differ significantly from sea-level venues. The ball travels further in the thinner air, boundaries feel shorter, and visiting teams accustomed to sea-level conditions sometimes struggle to calibrate their pace bowling and batting approaches. For PBKS, three home matches at this venue across the crucial final weeks of the league stage could be the difference between playoff qualification and elimination.
What to Watch For in PBKS’s Campaign
Punjab Kings have been one of IPL’s most consistent underachievers relative to the talent in their squads across multiple seasons, never having won the IPL title despite reaching the finals in the tournament’s early years. Shreyas Iyer’s appointment as captain represents the most significant leadership upgrade the franchise has made in years, bringing in a proven IPL-winning captain with the tactical intelligence and calm under pressure that PBKS have sometimes lacked at crucial moments.
The combination of Iyer’s captaincy, a strong squad assembled through the auction, two home venues with genuine competitive advantages in New Chandigarh and Dharamsala, and a schedule that gives them a powerful home stretch in the final weeks of the league stage makes Punjab Kings one of the most interesting dark horse candidates for a deep playoff run in IPL 2026.