Hyderabad: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will play the tournament opener on March 22, the announcement on the much-awaited schedule of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) revealed, on Thursday.
The Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) released the schedule for the first 21 matches of the cash-rich league amid weeks of doubts and uncertainty over dates and venues as the Election Commission of India is gearing up to hold the general elections to the Parliament. The general elections are expected to be held in April-May.
The first weekend will feature two double headers, beginning with the Punjab Kings (PBKS) hosting the Delhi Capitals (DC) on March 23, followed by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosting the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on the same evening. The tournament will witness four double headers in the first phase.
On March 24, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will host the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Jaipur. While the runner up of the previous season, Gujarat Titans (GT) will go head-to-head with five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at their home ground Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad.
The DC will first host the CSK on March 31 in Visakhapatnam and will then face KKR at the same venue on April 3. Notably, Delhi Capitals will play their first two home matches in Visakhapatnam at the Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium instead of the Arun Jaitely Stadium in New Delhi while other teams will be hosting their rivals on their designated home grounds.
-
🚨 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗦 - TATA #IPL2024 Schedule is HERE! 🤩
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 22, 2024
Get ready for the thrill, excitement and fun to begin! Save this post so you don't have to search for it again 🔍
It's #CSKvRCB, @msdhoni 🆚 @imVkohli in the opener! Who's your pick ? 👀#IPLSchedule #IPLonStar pic.twitter.com/oNLx116Uzi
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah in a media statement said, "As in the past, the BCCI will work closely with government and security agencies, following all necessary protocols and advisories related to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in India."
Only in 2009, the IPL, in its entirety, was held overseas (South Africa) while the 2014 edition was partially held in the United Arab Emirates due to the general elections. However, in 2019, the tournament was held in India despite the Lok Sabha elections.
"Once the dates for the 18th Lok Sabha elections are announced, the Board will review and address any issues pertaining to the schedule of the first two weeks. Subsequently, the BCCI will work in tandem with local authorities to finalise the schedule for the remainder of the season, taking into account the polling dates," added Shah.
The IPL is the biggest T20 league in the world and as the world gears up for another unprecedented season, there is so much to look forward to - MS Dhoni's swansong, Mumbai Indians playing under a newly appointed captain in Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill's first-ever season as captain (of Gujarat Titans), Gautam Gambhir as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor, and the RCB's performance. Even as the games are a month away, the excitement in the air is palpable.
The BCCI had earlier announced that the games will be played here locally and will not move to Dubai much to the amusement of sports enthusiasts.
Read More
