The IPL Governing Council has finally announced the schedule for VIVO Indian Premier League 2021. The big news is that this edition of the IPL will be entirely staged in India. The IPL bonanza is set to return home after nearly 2 years.
No Home and Away games:
Six cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata) will host the marquee event. There is no concept of home and away matches this season. All the games will be played at neutral venues.
IPL 2021 from 9th April-30th May:
The season will kickstart on 9th April 2021 in Chennai. The season opener will feature a high octane clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. As expected, the World’s Largest Cricket Stadium will also host the IPL spectacle. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will host the Playoffs as well as the final on 30th May 2021. This is the first time an IPL match will be played in this beauty of a stadium.
All 8 teams are set to play at four venues during the league stage. Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches each. Ahmedabad and Delhi meanwhile will host 8 matches each. All teams will play at 4 out of 6 venues during the league stage.
11 Double-Headers and match timings:
There will be a total of 11 double-headers where 6 teams are slotted to play three-afternoon matches and two teams are set to play two-afternoon games. The afternoon matches are slated for a 3:30 PM IST start while the evening games will have a 7:30 PM IST start.
The BCCI is confident of hosting a successful IPL within India. The experience of hosting a smooth and seamless Test series between India and England in India aids the morale of the governing council. BCCI can also draw inspiration from IPL 2020. They staged a wonderful IPL in UAE amidst the challenges of the pandemic. A successful IPL is paramount for BCCI as it has to host the T20 World Cup too, later this year.
No fans in the stadium for the first few games:
The games have been mapped in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage. This will reduce commute and minimise risk. The VIVO IPL this year at home will initially be played without the audience. The call to allow spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament. We can’t wait for IPL 2021 to begin!