The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first 21 matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season on Thursday. The defending champions, Chennai Super Kings will host Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk’s MA Chidambaram stadium on March 22. Fans were given the opportunity to select the opposing team for the inaugural match, with over 50% favoring a CSK vs RCB showdown, followed by Mumbai Indians. Traditionally, the defending champions kick off the IPL season on their home turf.
DC’s first two home games relocated to Vizag
The Delhi Capitals’ first two home fixtures at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium are canceled as the venue will not be ready to host the matches. Instead, they will play their home matches in Vizag.
The schedule for the initial 17 days of Season 17, spanning from March 22 to April 7, has been announced, featuring four double headers within this time frame.
The Indian cricket board is expected to announce the rest of the schedule after the Election Commision of India announces the General Election dates.
The BCCI announced the first 17 days of the fixtures only due to general elections which will be held between April and May this year. The board is keen to host the entire IPL season in India but might be forced to take it out of the country once again.
Due to the upcoming general elections scheduled between April and May this year, the BCCI has released the fixtures for only the first 17 days of the IPL season. Although the board aims to conduct the entire IPL in India, there is a possibility of relocating it abroad once again. Notably, the IPL has been held overseas twice previously – in 2009 (South Africa) and 2014 (UAE) due to clashing dates with India’s general elections. Additionally, amidst the Covid-19 crisis in India, the tournament was hosted in the United Arab Emirates in 2020.