The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday released the complete fixture for the league stage of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 season.
Unlike in the previous seasons, all the league matches will be held in the eight home venues of the eight franchises in the home-away fixtures. Earlier, satellite cities used to host matches, and a similar arrangement was expected due to the tournament's close proximity to the Lok Sabha elections.
In a media release, the BCCI said that "each of the eight franchises will play their 7 home games at their respective venues".
The Board thanks the Election Commission of India, local police authorities at each venue for their cooperation. This has ensured that the league sticks to the home and away format.
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The schedule has been made in a manner to balance the afternoon matches/weekend matches and travel.
Among the league matches, there are 12 afternoon starts (4 pm matches) on the weekends. Also, the IPL operations team has ensured that no team plays their home matches at the alternate venues as the general elections will be held in seven phases from April 12 to May 19.
"The biggest challenge was to ensure that KKR gets to play all their matches at the Eden Gardens as West Bengal is the only state which is going to polls on all seven dates. However with Calcutta and adjoining areas going to polls on May 19, we have been able to sort the issues with help of the government and local police authorities," a senior BCCI official said.
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Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai in the IPL opener, which will begin on March 23.
Earlier, the BCCI announced the schedule of the first 17 matches that will be played during the two-week period from March 23 to April 5 across the eight home venues of the respective franchises.
But, the venues for the playoffs, including the final, are set to be released later.
FULL SCHEDULE (Also HERE):
March 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Match 24: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (4 PM), Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals (8 PM)
Match 25: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab
March 26: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings
March 27: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab
March 28: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians
March 29: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
March 30: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians (4 PM), Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (8 PM)
March 31: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (4 PM), Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals (8 PM)
April 1: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals
April 2: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 3: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
April 4: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 5 : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders
April 6: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab (4 PM), Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians (8 PM)
April 7: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals (4 PM), Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (8 PM)
April 8: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 9: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
April 10: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab
April 11: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings
April 12: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals
April 13: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals (4 PM), Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (8 PM)
April 14: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings (4 PM), Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals (8 PM)
April 15: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 16: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals
April 17: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings
April 18: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians
April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 20: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians (4 PM), Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab (8 PM)
April 21: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders (4 PM), Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings Bengaluru (8 PM)
April 22: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals
April 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 24: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab
April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
April 26: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
April 27: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 28: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore (4 PM), Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians (8 PM)
April 29: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab
April 30: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals
May 1: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals
May 2: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
May 3: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders
May 4: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals (4 PM), Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (8 PM)
May 5: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings (4 PM), Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (8 PM)
*Playoffs schedule:
Qualifier 1: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings; May 7, Tuesday, 7.30 PM
Eliminator: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad; May 8, Wednesday, 7.30 PM
Qualifier 2: Mumbai Indians/Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals/Sunrisers Hyderabad; May 10, Friday, 7.30 PM
* Amended the article to have the playoffs schedule.
(With Agency inputs)
