New Delhi: The schedule of the group stages of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is out with all eight teams playing seven home matches at their respective home venues.
The schedule is balanced in terms of afternoon matches/weekend matches and travel. The board has factored the 2019 Lok Sabha elections dates/phases in the respective states and cities and clearance thereof.
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Chennai in the IPL opener, which will begin on March 23.
The schedule of this year's edition has been released in parts by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls that would be a staggered process in seven phases stretched across April and May.
Earlier, the BCCI announced the schedule of the first 17 matches that will be played during the two-week period from March 23 to April 5 across the eight home venues of the respective franchises.
All teams are playing a minimum of four matches with the newly-christened Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) playing five matches in that phase.
Every team was assigned a minimum of two home and two away matches with DC given three home matches.
FULL SCHEDULE:
March 23 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
Match 24
4 p.m. - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
8 p.m. - Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals
Match 25 Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab
March 26 Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings
March 27 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab
March 28 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians
March 29 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals
March 30
4 p.m. - Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians
8 p.m. - Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders
March 31
4 p.m. - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
8 p.m. - Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals
April 1 Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals
April 2 Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 3 Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
April 4 Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 5 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders
April 6
4 p.m. Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab
8 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians
April 7
4 p.m. - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals
8 p.m. - Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders
April 8 Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 9 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders
April 10 Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab
April 11 Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings
April 12 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals
April 13
4 p.m. Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals
8 p.m. Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 14
4 p.m. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings
8 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals
April 15 Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 16 Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals
April 17 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings
April 18 Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians
April 19 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
April 20
4 p.m. Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians
8 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab
April 21
4 p.m. Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders
8 p.m. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings bengaluru
April 22 Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals
April 23 Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 24 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab
April 25 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals
April 26 Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians
April 27 Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
April 28
4 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore
8 p.m. Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians
April 29 Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab
April 30 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals
May 1 Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals
May 2 Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
May 3 Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders
May 4
4 p.m. Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals
8 p.m. Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad
May 5
4 p.m. Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings
8 p.m. Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders
[Story by Baidurjo Bhose]