New Delhi, March 27 -- The second phase of the IPL 2026 will begin on April 13 and conclude on May 24, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday while releasing the full fixtures of the league phase. The first phase runs from March 28 to April 12. The remainder of the league stage, comprising 50 matches, will be played across 12 venues in India with action resuming when Sunrisers Hyderabad takes on Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad. The biggest takeaway from the schedule is that the two five-time champions Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will face off twice in the second phase while defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will not travel to Chennai. The two sides will play the marquee clash only once - at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on April 5. The second phase will feature eight double-headers, with afternoon matches starting at 3:30 PM IST and evening matches commencing at 7:30 PM IST. Punjab Kings will play their home matches in New Chandigarh and Dharamshala, including three matches in Dharamshala during this phase. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals will host four home games in Jaipur, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play three home matches in Bengaluru and two in Raipur. The schedule was announced in phases due to scheduling uncertainties surrounding state assembly elections in host cities like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam. The full schedule and venues for the playoffs will be announced later, with the final is expected to be held on May 31. India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill on Thursday said he has nothing to prove in the IPL after being dropped from India's T20 World Cup team. "Not at all, sir. I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in IPL. So I don't think I don't have anything to prove in this season particularly," said Gill in the pre-season conference. "And the four years that I've played for this team, I think we have done decently well. So I don't think I need to prove to anyone, my worth."...