IPL 2016 schedule has been announced and champions Mumbai Indians will play the opening match against the new MS Dhoni-led franchise Rising Pune Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 9. As Mumbai Indians are the defending champions, they will get a chance to host the opening game as well as the big final of the cash-rich league.
There will be a total of 60 matches played, including the Eliminator, two playoff matches and the IPL 2016 final.
The IPL 2016 schedule was supposed to be announced, Tuesday, but due to certain reasons the announcement was delayed by a couple of days.
IPL 2016 will be played across 11 venues in India. Nagpur, Kanpur and Raipur will act as the home stadiums of the Kings XI Punjab, Gujarat Lions and Delhi Daredevils respectively.
Kolkata Knight Riders will play the second match against the Delhi Daredevils at the iconic Eden Gardens on April 10. The other new franchise, Gujarat Lions, will play their first ever IPL game against Kings XI Punjab at the latter's home ground in Mohali on April 11.
Here is the IPL 2016 complete schedule:
| Day | Date | Time | Mat. No. | Matches | Venue |
| Saturday | 9.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 1 | Mumbai Indians vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Mumbai |
| Sunday | 10.4.46 | 8.00 PM | 2 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils | Kolkata |
| Monday | 11.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 3 | Kings XI Punjab vs Gujarat Lions | Mohali |
| Tuesday | 12.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 4 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bengaluru |
| Wednesday | 13.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 5 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians | Kolkata |
| Thursday | 14.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 6 | Gujarat Lions vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Rajkot |
| Friday | 15.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 7 | Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab | Delhi |
| Saturday | 16.4.16 | 4.00 PM | 8 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Hyderabad |
| Saturday | 16.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 9 | Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Lions | Mumbai |
| Sunday | 17.4.16 | 4.00 PM | 10 | Kings XI Punjab vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Mohali |
| Sunday | 17.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 11 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils | Bengaluru |
| Monday | 18.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 12 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians | Hyderabad |
| Tuesday | 19.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 13 | Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Mohali |
| Wednesday | 20.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 14 | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Mumbai |
| Thursday | 21.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 15 | Gujarat Lions vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajkot |
| Friday | 22.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 16 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Pune |
| Saturday | 23.4.16 | 4.00 PM | 17 | Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians | Delhi |
| Saturday | 23.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 18 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab | Hyderabad |
| Sunday | 24.4.16 | 4.00 PM | 19 | Gujarat Lions vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Rajkot |
| Sunday | 24.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 20 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Pune |
| Monday | 25.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 21 | Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians | Mohali |
| Tuesday | 26.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 22 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Hyderabad |
| Wednesday | 27.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 23 | Delhi Daredevils vs Gujarat Lions | Delhi |
| Thursday | 28.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 24 | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai |
| Friday | 29.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 25 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Gujarat Lions | Pune |
| Saturday | 30.4.16 | 4.00 PM | 26 | Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Delhi |
| Saturday | 30.4.16 | 8.00 PM | 27 | Sunsers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Hyderabad |
| Sunday | 1.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 28 | Gujarat Lions vs Kings XI Punjab | Rajkot |
| Sunday | 1.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 29 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Mumbai Indians | Pune |
| Monday | 2.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 30 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Bengaluru |
| Tuesday | 3.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 31 | Gujarat Lions vs Delhi Daredevils | Rajkot |
| Wednesday | 4.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 32 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab | Kolkata |
| Thursday | 5.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 33 | Delhi Daredevils vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Delhi |
| Friday | 6.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 34 | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Gujarat Lions | Hyderabad |
| Saturday | 7.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 35 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Bengaluru |
| Saturday | 7.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 36 | Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils | Nagpur |
| Sunday | 8.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 37 | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai |
| Sunday | 8.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 38 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Lions | Kolkata |
| Monday | 9.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 39 | Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Nagpur |
| Tuesday | 10.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 40 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Pune |
| Wednesday | 11.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 41 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians | Bengaluru |
| Thursday | 12.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 42 | Sunrisers Hyderbad vs Delhi Daredevils | Hyderabad |
| Friday | 13.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 43 | Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab | Mumbai |
| Saturday | 14.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 44 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Lions | Bengaluru |
| Saturday | 14.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 45 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rising Pune Supergiants | Kolkata |
| Sunday | 15.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 46 | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils | Mumbai |
| Sunday | 15.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 47 | Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Nagpur |
| Monday | 16.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 48 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Kolkata |
| Tuesday | 17.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 49 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Delhi Daredevils | Pune |
| Wednesday | 18.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 50 | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab | Bengaluru |
| Thursday | 19.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 51 | Gujarat Lions vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Rajkot/Kanpur |
| Friday | 20.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 52 | Delhi Daredevils vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Raipur |
| Saturday | 21.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 53 | Rising Pune Supergiants vs Kings XI Punjab | Pune |
| Saturday | 21.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 54 | Gujarat Lions vs Mumbai Indians | Rajkot/Kanpur |
| Sunday | 22.5.16 | 4.00 PM | 55 | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata |
| Sunday | 22.5.16 | 8.00 PM | 56 | Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | Raipur |
| PLAYOFFS | |||||
| Tuesday | 24.5.16 | 8.00 PM | Qualifier 1 | Bengaluru | |
| Wednesday | 25.5.16 | 8.00 PM | Eliminator | Pune | |
| Friday | 27.5.16 | 8.00 PM | Qualifier 2 | Pune | |
| Sunday | 29.5.16 | 8.00 PM | FINAL | Mumbai | |
