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.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will host Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk's MA Chidambaram stadium on March 22.
This will be the ninth time that CSK will kickstart the tournament by playing the first match of the season after 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 & 2023.
Fans vote for CSK vs RCB opener
Fans were asked to pick a team as their opponent for the first game and more than 50% voted for a CSK vs RCB opener with Mumbai Indians second in the race. The defending champions always open the IPL season on their home ground.
"The first weekend will feature two double headers, beginning with the Punjab Kings hosting the Delhi Capitals on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Kolkata Knight Riders hosting the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the evening. On Sunday afternoon (March 24th), the action will shift to Jaipur, where the home team Rajasthan Royals will face the Lucknow Super Giants. Sunday evening will witness the home team Gujarat Titans, the 2022 champions and finalists of the last season going head-to-head with five-time winners Mumbai Indians," the BCCI stated.
DC to play first 2 home games in Vizag
Delhi Capitals will not be playing their first two home fixtures at the Arun Jaitely Cricket Stadium as the venue will not be ready to host the matches. They will have to play two home games in Vizag.
The schedule has been announced for the first 17 days of season 17 from March 22 to April 7. There will be a total of 4 double headers in this time frame. 21 matches will be played across 10 cities, with each team playing a minimum of three matches and a maximum of five.
The Indian cricket board is expected to announce the rest of the schedule after the Election Commission of India announces the General Election dates.
IPL 2024 dates clash with General Elections
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.
"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. Subsequently, the BCCI will work in tandem with local authorities to finalize the schedule for the remainder of the season, taking into account the polling dates," board secretary Jay Shah's statement read.
Notably, the IPL has been played overseas twice before in 2009 (South Africa), 2014 (UAE) due to its dates clashing with the general elections in India. It was again hosted by the United Arab Emirates in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis in India.
