IPL 2021: Start on April 9, final on May 30
Mumbai: The 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) will start on April 9 and its final will be held on May 30, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Sunday.
As per the itinerary, the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will meet defending champions Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) in the opening encounter on April 9 in Chennai, setting the tone for another memorable season of the premier tournament. The world’s largest cricket stadium – Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the playoffs along with the summit clash, which will be held on May 30.
As per the IPL media advisory, the BCCI mentioned that each team will play at four venues. Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches each, on the other hand, Ahmedabad and Delhi will get to host 8 matches each. The biggest takeaway is that no team will get to boost of home advantage in this edition, adding to their challenges. All teams will play at 4 out of 6 venues during the league stage.
11 doubleheaders, where 6 teams will play three afternoon matches & two teams will play two afternoon matches, will be held in IPL 14 season. The timings will remain the same as it was during IPL 2020. The afternoon games will commence from 3:30 PM IST start whereas the evening games will start from 7:30 PM IST.