Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will host Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in the opening match of IPL 2024 on March 22.

On Thursday, the IPL released a partial schedule comprising an initial set of 21 matches between March 22 and April 7. The IPL final is expected to be played on May 26, with just five days between that and the opening match of the men’s T20 World Cup, to be played in the US and the Caribbean from June 1.

– TATA #IPL2024 Schedule is HERE!

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It’s #CSKvRCB, @msdhoni @imVkohli in the opener! Who’s your pick ? #IPLSchedule #IPLonStar pic.twitter.com/oNLx116Uzi

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) February 22, 2024

Like in 2009, 2014 and 2019, the IPL 2024’s biggest roadblock was the fact that it is expected to clash with the general elections. In the past, the cricket carnival coincided with the polls twice, leading to confusion regarding hosting the event. The 2009 edition was moved entirely to South Africa, whereas in 2014, the IPL was played in two halves – the first in the UAE and the other back in India.

In 2019, the two events did not collide, and hence the IPL, starting March 23, was played entirely in India. This time, the IPL council has therefore decided to announce the schedule partially, and the second half of the tournament schedule is expected once the Election Commission of India reveals the dates of the national elections, which are expected to take place in the months of April and May.

There are four double-headers in the initial schedule including two on the opening weekend. On March 23, Punjab Kings will play the day match against Delhi Capitals at home followed by Kolkata Knight Riders hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens.

On March 24, Rajasthan Royals play their first game against Lucknow Super Giants while Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians open with an away-fixture against Gujarat Titans, his former team.

Capitals are the only franchise that won’t play any games at their home ground, Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla, in the March 22-April 7 period; both those games will be held at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

Capitals, Titans and RCB will play five of their 14 matches in this 17-day window. KKR will play only three matches; all the other franchises have been slotted to play four games. It’s likely Punjab Kings will play their home games at a brand new venue, in Mullanpur on the outskirts of Chandigarh, instead of their traditional home in Mohali.

While it feels like just last month that Ravindra Jadeja struck a boundary off the last ball to take Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title, the fact remains that it’s been 8 long months to that epic night in Ahmedabad. And on March 22, the Men-in-Yellow will return to action with all eyes on the charismatic MS Dhoni, who said last year that winning the IPL in 2023 would have been the perfect time for him to retire but he plans on coming back for one last run ‘next year’.

The tournament will also see Hardik Pandya return to Mumbai Indians as the captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. There will be eyes on Rishabh Pant too, expected to return to competitive cricket after being out of action following a serious car accident in December 2022.