IPL 2021 to begin on April 9; Inaugural match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore
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New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the match schedule for the Indian Premier League 2021. The inaugural match will be between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 9.
The tournament has been reduced to six venues this year due to the pandemic. Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai will host the Twenty20 Championships.
The playoffs will be conducted at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad, as well as the finals scheduled on May 30. The last two matches of the Test series against England were played at the same largest stadium in the world.
The teams will compete at the league stage in four venues. Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Bangalore will host ten matches in 56 league matches. There will be eight matches each in Delhi and Ahmedabad. Additionally, all competitions will be held at neutral venues with no team receiving the benefit of a home ground match. All teams will compete in four of the six venues.
The teams will have to change venues only three times during the league. Spectators will not be allowed at the beginning of the tournament considering Covid protocols. The BCCI said it would assess the situation and make a decision towards the end.