The BCCI on Sunday (February 16) unveiled a 74-match schedule for the 18th Indian Premier League that will be held across 13 venues, starting on March 22 with three franchises playing at least a couple of their home games at their designated second bases.

The event will kick off with a clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens on March 22 and culminate at the same venue on May 25 in a schedule that did not offer any surprises.

The much-awaited El Clasico of IPL – a face-off between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) – is scheduled for March 23 and April 20.

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13 venues, 12 double-headers

A schedule features 12 double-headers. The games will be held over 65 days across 13 venues, with Dharamsala, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam hosting a couple of IPL fixtures each.

As has been the norm, Dharamsala will serve as Punjab Kings’ second home venue alongside Mullanpur (New Chandigarh), while Rajasthan Royals will make Guwahati their base in addition to Jaipur.

Delhi Capitals will have Visakhapatnam as their second home venue and will start their league campaign there on March 24 against Lucknow Super Giants.

Guwahati and Visakhapatnam will host two matches each, while Dharamsala will stage three matches.

Playoffs in Hyderabad, Kolkata

The first double-header of the season will be held on March 23 in which Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals in an afternoon game in Hyderabad, followed by a contest between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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The playoffs will be staged in Hyderabad and Kolkata after the league stage. Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on May 20 and May 21, respectively, with the action shifting to Kolkata for Qualifier 2 on May 23.

The IPL will continue with its two-group structure after the 2022 expansion to a 10-team format.

Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, and Punjab Kings are in one group, while Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, and Lucknow Super Giants are in the other.

Each team will play the other sides in their group twice, one predetermined team from the opposite group, and the remaining four teams from the other group once.

(With agency inputs)