Dubai: Defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on two-time winners and comeback team Chennai Super Kings in a marquee opening game of Indian Premier League 2018, to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 7.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the fixtures list of the much-awaited 11th season of the league on Wednesday.
The matches will be played at nine venues, across 51 days from April 7 to May 27, 2018.
Meanwhile, fans in Chennai and Jaipur will once again get their share of the IPL frenzy as M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium will host home matches of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals respectively. Kings XI Punjab will play their three home matches in Indore and four matches at home in Mohali.
Wankhede Stadium will be hosting the final this time around between the winners of Qualifier 1 and the winners of Qualifier 2, on May 27.
The upcoming edition of the cash-rich league will feature 12 matches that will be played at 4pm IST (2.30pm UAE) and 48 matches will start at 8pm (6.30pm).
Earlier, during the two-day auction on January 27 and 28, first-ever champions Rajasthan Royals broke their bank to sign the likes of Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat respectively, to announce their intentions after returning to the league following a two-year hiatus.
India batsmen K.L. Rahul and Manish Pandey also set the cash registers ringing after they were sold to Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Australian superstars also raked in the moolah during the auction as Chris Lynn, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell, respectively, by their franchises.
