IPL 2026, week by week.

The full chapter, in one read

The 2026 IPL cycle is the first in three years to start with a clean retention window. Most franchises went in with two or three retentions plus a Right-to-Match card, and the auction board shifted accordingly. The pages below track the cycle as it develops, not as a retrospective.

We update this part within an hour of any squad announcement. If a player is traded, rested, or recalled, the fantasy impact is added at the same time. The goal is simple: by the time the season starts, the desk has covered every franchise twice, every captain once, and every matchup the schedule throws up.

What you should do next

The fastest way to use this chapter is to read the first subtopic, then jump to whichever subtopic matches the question on your mind. If you are new, the captain and vice-captain subtopic is the one that pays for itself the soonest. If you are returning, the salary cap math subtopic is usually where the season-end edge sits.

We update this chapter weekly. The date below the headline is the last refresh; the changelog at the bottom of the guide records every substantive change.

The auction board, in detail

The 2026 auction board was the cleanest in three cycles. Most franchises had two to four retentions, an RTM card, and a clear list of role priorities. The cross-franchise competition for the same set of players was lower than the previous cycle, which kept the marquee overseas players at the top of their expected price band and pulled the middle-tier Indian players into a tighter band. The desk publishes the per-franchise analysis on the retention analysis, with the fantasy implications.

The fantasy value list, in detail

The fantasy value list is the most-read page on each franchise. The list has four parts: a captain pick, a vice-captain pick, three differentials, and a contrarian. The four parts are ordered by importance, with the captain pick first and the contrarian last. The list is updated every Tuesday, and the result is published the morning after each match. The list is logged, and the running hit rate is published at the end of the season.

The pre-season preview, in detail

The pre-season preview is published the week before the franchise’s first match. The preview covers the squad, the captaincy case, the fantasy value list, and the venue splits. The preview is 1,200-1,800 words, with the squad list at the top, the captaincy case in the middle, and the fantasy value list at the bottom. The preview is the single most useful piece of editorial coverage for a fantasy reader who plays the franchise.

The schedule and the venue impact, in detail

The 2026 IPL schedule covers 74 league fixtures across 10 franchises. The schedule is published in three blocks: the first 20 league fixtures in the opening two weeks, the middle 40 fixtures over the next five weeks, and the back-end 14 fixtures in the final two weeks. The fixture density is highest in the middle block, which is also the block with the most fantasy prize money. The desk publishes a per-venue pitch map on the fantasy tips page.

How the editorial desk keeps this guide accurate

The editorial desk re-verifies the content on this guide every week. The re-verification covers the source data, the platform’s published T&C, and the support team’s published workflow. If any of the three changes, the page is updated within an hour. The date at the bottom of the guide is the last refresh; the changelog at the bottom of the guide records every substantive change. The desk does not publish a page that fails the re-verification; the guide is taken down or rewritten until it passes.

The editorial desk uses a four-step re-verification process. Step one: the source data is checked against the public database. Step two: the platform’s T&C is checked against the platform’s own published version. Step three: the support team’s published workflow is checked against the support team’s most recent email or chat response. Step four: the editorial content is checked against the three sources. The four steps are the minimum; the desk does not skip a step.

What to do if you spot an error

If you spot an error on this guide, send a one-line email to [email protected] with the subject line “Fact correction”. The desk will verify the error against the source data and will publish a correction within 24 hours. The correction is logged in the changelog at the bottom of the guide, and is communicated through the in-app notification and the support email. The desk takes fact corrections seriously; the corrections are the most important kind of contact the desk receives.

If the error is a typo, the desk will fix the typo within 24 hours. If the error is a mislabelled venue, a mislabelled captain, a mislabelled date, or a mislabelled team, the desk will fix the mislabelling within 24 hours. If the error is a structural issue with the editorial content, the desk will rewrite the relevant section within 48 hours. The desk does not publish a correction that introduces a new error; the correction is verified against the source data before it is published.

How the desk handles commercial relationships

LeagueX carries affiliate links to the platform’s own app. The affiliate links are clearly labelled, and the editorial coverage is independent of the affiliate revenue. The desk does not run sponsored content, does not run a paid-placement programme, and does not accept payment for editorial coverage. The full disclosure is on the responsible play page. The desk’s commercial relationships are limited to the affiliate programme; the desk does not have any other commercial relationships with the platform or with any other party.

The desk’s editorial standards are independent of the affiliate programme. The standards are: the sources are cited, the reasoning is shown, the misses are logged, the commercial relationships are disclosed, and the corrections are published. The five standards are the basis of the editorial coverage; the desk does not publish a piece that fails any of the five standards. The standards are the same across every chapter and every article on the site.

The five editorial standards, in detail

Standard one: the sources are cited. Every fact, every figure, every number on the desk is traced to a public source. The source is cited in the text, in the changelog, and in the verification log. The desk does not publish a fact that cannot be traced to a public source. Standard two: the reasoning is shown. Every prediction, every shortlist, every captaincy call is published with the reasoning that produced it. The reasoning is shown in full, not summarised. Standard three: the misses are logged. Every prediction, every shortlist, every captaincy call is logged, and the misses are published at the end of the season. The misses are the most important data point on the desk.

Standard four: the commercial relationships are disclosed. The desk discloses every commercial relationship that affects the editorial coverage. The disclosure is on the responsible play page and on the about page. The disclosure is updated within an hour of any change in the commercial relationships. Standard five: the corrections are published. Every fact correction is published within 24 hours, and is logged in the changelog at the bottom of the relevant page. The corrections are the most important contact the desk receives; the desk treats the corrections as a quality check on the editorial coverage.

What to read next

If you want to keep reading, the fantasy cricket reading order is the most useful starting point. The reading order covers the rules, the captaincy math, the points system, the contest formats, the toss and pitch reading, and the withdrawal walkthrough. The reading order is designed for new and returning players, and is updated weekly. If you want to play, the download path is the fastest one. The free practice contests are open all year and do not require a deposit. The editorial calendar is on the same URL every week.

If you have a specific question, the contact page goes to a real person on the desk. The desk answers within two working days. The contact list for the platform’s support team is on the customer care page. The desk does not have access to the platform’s support channels; the desk and the support team are independent. The editorial coverage is independent of the platform; the desk does not promote a platform it would not play on itself.