TNI Bureau: Earlier in the day, the BCCI unveiled the IPL 2023 schedule, with the opening match set to take place on March 31 at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. This season, the tournament will return to a home and away format after a gap of 3 years, with matches to be played across 12 venues. Each of the 10 teams will play 7 home and 7 away matches in the league. It’s a fitting start to the season with the reigning champions, Gujarat Titans, facing off against the four-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, at one of the biggest cricket stadiums in the world.
On May 16, MS Dhoni will be bidding farewell to his home crowd as he plays his last game at Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders. The Chennai Super Kings, led by Dhoni, will play their first home game on April 3 against the Lucknow Super Giants, followed by a highly anticipated clash with their long-time rivals, Mumbai Indians, at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium on April 8. The return fixture against Mumbai Indians will take place on May 6, this time at Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
The IPL 2023 schedule will feature 18 double headers, with the day games starting at 3:30 PM IST and evening games at 07:30 PM IST. This year, two new venues, Guwahati and Dharamsala, have been added to the roster. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) will host their first two home games in Guwahati before moving to Jaipur for the rest of their home games. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play their first five home games in Mohali before shifting to Dharamsala for their final two home matches against Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
