IPL 2026 Is Here! RCB vs SRH Preview & Dhoni's Shock Injury — Today!

 IPL 2026 is here. Tonight, at 7:30 PM IST, the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru walk out at the Chinnaswamy Stadium against Sunrisers Hyderabad — and the tournament that cricket fans have been waiting months for finally begins.

But before the first ball is bowled, cricket has already delivered its first major storyline of the season. MS Dhoni — the most iconic player in IPL history — has been ruled out of the first two weeks of IPL 2026 with a calf strain. The man who was supposed to be playing his farewell season will watch the first four CSK matches from the sidelines.

Here is everything you need to know about the IPL 2026 opener — and the Dhoni bombshell that has turned the tournament upside down before a single ball has been bowled.

Cricket Today: BAN Win Series, Chinnaswamy Cleared & Dhoni's Last Dance

 Bangladesh have beaten Pakistan in a bilateral ODI series for the first time in 11 years. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been cleared for IPL 2026 — just 12 days before the opener. And MS Dhoni, aged 44, is confirmed to play every single match of what could be his final IPL season.

Three massive stories on March 16, 2026 — here is everything you need to know.