IPL set to begin from March 31

The 16th edition of the India Premier League (IPL) is set to begin from March 31 with defending champions Gujarat Titans taking on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Ahmedabad. The cash-rich T20 league returns to its traditional home-and-away format for the first time since 2019.

The final is scheduled to take place on May 28 in Ahmedabad.

The IPL is set to begin five days after the final of the inaugural Women's Premier League on March 26, where all the ten team will feature in the opening weekend.

Titans will face CSK on Friday, Punjab Kings take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali, and Lucknow Super Giants play Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on April 1. Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad, and Royal Challengers Bangalore play Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru on April 2.

The schedule for the four playoff matches is yet to announced apart from Ahmedabad being identified as the venue for the final.

Ten teams will divided into two groups like last season where in Group A consists Mumbai, Knight Riders, Royals, Capitals and Super Giants. On Group B, Super Kings, Royal Challengers, Titans, Kings and Sunrisers will battle it out where each team will play five teams twice - four from their own group and one from the other group - and four teams - the remaining from the other group - once.

The league phase comprises seventy matches across 52 days from March 31 to May 21, spanning 12 cities, and will feature 18 double-headers.