IPL 2024 to kick off on March 22, Entire season will be played in India: Arun Dhumal
Cricket enthusiasts can mark March 22 on their calendars as Arun Dhumal, chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), declares the commencement date for IPL 2024.
FollowThe commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 is scheduled for March 22, and contrary to the coinciding general elections, the entire season will take place in India, as confirmed by Chairman Arun Dhumal in a statement to PTI on Tuesday. The general elections, expected in April and May, have delayed the release of the full schedule for the 17th edition of the IPL. Arun Dhumal mentioned that initially, only the first 15 days' schedule will be revealed, with the subsequent games' roster to be decided after the announcement of election dates next month.
"We are looking at a March 22 start for the tournament. We are working closely with the government agencies and we will first release the initial schedule. The entire tournament will be held in India," said Dhumal.
In the history of the IPL, only the 2009 edition was held entirely overseas (South Africa), while the 2014 season was partly conducted in the UAE due to general elections. However, in 2019, the tournament took place in India despite concurrent elections.
Given that the T20 World Cup kicks off shortly after the IPL concludes, the final is expected to be held on May 26. India's opening World Cup fixture against Ireland is scheduled for June 5 in New York, with the ICC tournament starting with a clash between the USA and Canada on June 1.
As per tradition, the IPL opener will feature the winners of the previous year, the Chennai Super Kings, against the runners-up, Gujarat Titans. The players' auction for the 2024 season occurred in December, with Australian pacer Mitchell Starc becoming the most expensive player in IPL history, acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 24.75 crore.
