The 15th edition of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) will reportedly begin from March 12 and the final is likley to be held on May 29.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, the upcoming season will be staged in Maharashtra, with 55 games in Mumbai and 15 in Pune. While the historic Wankhede, Brabourne and DY Patil Stadium will be the venues in Mumbai, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) ground will be the venue in Pune.
The report suggested that in Mumbai, the Wankhede will host 20 games, Brabourne Stadium will stage 15 games and the remaining 20 will be held at DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The MCA stadium in Pune will host 15 games.
“The IPL will kick off on March 26, the full schedule will come soon. We will also have crowds but as per the policy of the Maharashtra government. Whether it will be 25 or 50 per cent of the stadium capacity will be decided by the government instruction,” IPL chairman Brijesh Patel was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.
Meanwhile, on being asked about the venues for the playoffs, Patel said a decision will be taken later. “We will decide about the play-offs later.” he said.
It is likley that the newly renovated Narendra Modi stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad would stage the playoffs of the lucrative league’s 15th edition.
The Cricbuzz report also stated that the BKC ground in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai, Brabourne Stadium in South Mumbai, DY Patil ground in Navi Mumbai and either MCA Ground in Kandivali or in Thane have been identified for practice.
Earlier, Cricket South Africa (CSA) had reportedly shown interest in staging the upcoming season of the cash-rich league if it had to be shifted from India due to the then Covid-19 outbreak in the country.
As per reports, the CSA had said that South Africa would be a cheaper option for staging the showpiece event as compared to the UAE where the second leg of the league was held in 2021.
Earlier in January, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah had announced that the 2022 season of IPL will begin in the last week of March and will conclude in May.
After a meeting with the owners of the franchises of the league, Shah, in an official statement, had said: “I am delighted to confirm that the 15th season of the IPL will start in the last week of March and will run until May end. A majority of the team owners expressed their wish that the tournament be held in India. The BCCI was always keen on staging the 2022 edition that will see two new teams – Ahmedabad and Lucknow – in India,”
“I can tell you that we will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that IPL stays in India. The BCCI has not compromised on the health and safety of its stakeholders in the past and will concurrently work on Plan B since the COVID-19 situation with new variants remains fluid,” he added.
Significantly, the upcoming season will see the newly inducted franchises — Ahmedabad and Lucknow — in action.