The Indian Premier League is right around the corner. With the mega auction wrapped up earlier in the month of February, one of the most coveted franchise leagues in the world is all set to begin by the end of March.
According to reports in the Indian media, the 10-team tournament will begin on either March 26 or 27 and run till the end of May, with the day of the final game speculated to be the 29th of May. It was already proposed earlier that the group stage games will be hosted in Maharashtra inside a strict bio-bubble, but the details have now been finally revealed.
Cricbuzz reported that three stadiums in Mumbai - DY Patil, Wankhede and Brabourne will host 55 matches among them, while 15 matches will be played in the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
While the venue for playoffs has not been decided yet, it has been largely speculated that Ahmedabad could host all the games in the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The IPL will have a little more complicated setup this year, with two more teams having been added to the earlier roster. This would mean quicker deterioration of the pitch conditions and further logistical challenges that already occurred in the last year while hosting the first phase of the IPL.