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INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE, 2024
The 17th edition of the IPL will begin in Chennai on March 22 © BCCI/IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) season 17 will begin in Chennai and as previously reported by Cricbuzz, the launch is scheduled for March 22. Several officials associated with the IPL confirmed the same to Cricbuzz.
“The league will begin on March 22 in Chennai,” informed IPL president Arun Singh Dhumal.
Kasi Viswanathan, CEO of the Chennai Super Kings franchise, revealed to Cricbuzz that the IPL has planned an opening ceremony before the match. Chennai is privileged to host the inaugural event by virtue of being the defending champions.
Traditionally, the opening match has featured the previous season’s finalists, suggesting it could be between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. However, neither Dhumal nor Viswanathan could confirm whether the March 22 contest would follow this ancient practice.
“It has not been finalized yet,” Dhumal said, while Viswanathan added: “We have no information about the opponents as of now.”
However, it cannot be ruled out that the Titans will participate in the opening game. Dhumal mentioned that the IPL will release a partial schedule in the coming days, and the full schedule will follow after the Election Commission of India announces the dates of the general elections. “Initially, we will announce the schedule for the first 10-12 days,” Dhumal mentioned.
The Election Commission is expected to announce the dates of the nationwide elections between the second and third week of March, based on which the entire IPL schedule will be finalized. The IPL president expressed confidence that the league will not have to be moved out of the country to avoid clashes with the elections and that there may be more centers involved than just 10.
The IPL will conclude on May 26.
© Cricbuzz