The schedule for IPL 2024 has been revealed by the BCCI, with the first 21 league matches set to take place over a two-week period from March 22 to April 7.
Chennai Super Kings, five-time champions and defending title holders, will face Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22 in Chennai to start the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League. The schedule for the first 21 league matches has been announced by the BCCI. The matches will be played over two weeks from March 22 to April 7. The schedule for the remaining matches will be revealed once the Election Commission announces the dates for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are set to reunite on the pitch once more(Twitter)
MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are set to reunite on the pitch once more(Twitter)
The IPL Chairman, Arun Dhumal, has confirmed that the entire tournament will take place in India, even though there may be scheduling conflicts with the Union elections. In 2009, the cricket mela had to be moved to South Africa because the organisers couldn’t accommodate the elections in the schedule.
“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. 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,” stated BCCI secretary Jay Shah.
Following this, the BCCI will collaborate with local authorities to determine the schedule for the rest of the season, considering the polling dates.
According to the official schedule released, all teams are playing their home matches at their usual home venues, except for Delhi Capitals. The Delhi team has had to move their first two home matches outside Delhi due to concerns about the condition of the Arun Jaitley stadium pitches. This decision was made because there are 11 Women’s Premier League matches scheduled to be played in a span of 12 days between March 5-17. DC has chosen to host these games in Visakhapatnam.
While not being able to fully utilise the home advantage at their home base is considered a major setback, DC has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the pitches provided by the local association. Hopefully, the extra two weeks will give the curators enough time to organise everything.
There will be a total of four double-headers to be played over the first two weeks with the evening matches starting at 7.30 pm. The CSK-RCB opening match featuring MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli is scheduled to start at 8pm, after the opening ceremony. According to discussions between BCCI, broadcasters, and franchise officials, it has been revealed that the IPL final is scheduled for May 26, just five days before the T20 World Cup begins in USA-West Indies.
As usual, the IPL will consist of 74 matches, with four knockout matches included.
Source – Hindustan Times