The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is upon us, and with the league’s start, expect some high-octane action. The IPL 2022 season started Today. And will continue to take place between March 26 and May 29. In Mumbai and Pune, a total of 70 league matches will be played across four international standard venues.
The location of the playoff games will be determined later. Intriguingly, there will be a total of 12 doubleheader matches/days.
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host 20 matches, while Brabourne Stadium will host 15 matches (CCI). Twenty matches will be held at Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, while 15 will be held at Pune’s MCA International Stadium.
Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants are the teams that makeup Group A.
Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, and Gujarat Titans are the teams that makeup Group B.
IPL 2022 Opening Ceremony
On Saturday (March 26), the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will begin with a match between the defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the 2021 runners-up Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to honour Tokyo Olympics medalists Neeraj Chopra, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dhaiya, and Lovlina Borgohain before the cricket action begins at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
According to the sources, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is expected to attend the ceremony and will receive a reward of Rs 1 crore from the BCCI.
Neeraj will also return to Wankhede for the clash between CSK and KKR. According to the report, the majority of the men’s and women’s hockey teams from the Tokyo Olympics are expected to attend the ceremony.
Last year, the Indian contingent won six medals at the Tokyo Olympics, a remarkable achievement that will be recognised by the Indian cricket board.
The BCCI, on the other hand, will skip the opening ceremony for the fourth year in a row. The last time the gala opening ceremony was held to commemorate the start of the cricketing extravaganza was in 2018.
The organisers decided to postpone the gala ceremony in 2019 due to the Pulwama massacre. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, BCCI skipped the opening ceremonies in 2020 and 2021.
The board used to spend upwards of Rs 40 to 45 crore on these occasions. Since its inception, the IPL’s enthralling inauguration ceremonies have been a must-see event. The audience was mesmerised by performances by leading Bollywood stars and music icons at the IPL inauguration events.
However, the IPL tournaments have been held without an opening ceremony since 2019.
BCCI plans six-team women IPL next year
The BCCI has begun serious planning for a Women’s IPL to begin next year. This year, however, the practice of staging will continue. A three-team Women’s T20 Challenger is expected to be held in Pune at the end of the IPL playoffs in May.
“It (the full-fledged women’s IPL) has to be approved by the AGM. We plan to start it by next year hopefully” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly told reporters, after a meeting of the IPL Governing Council on Friday.
“The process (to launch the women’s IPL) has started. It could be a five or six-team league,” Brijesh Patel, chairman of the IPL Governing Council, stated. However, reliable Board sources confirmed that the tournament would be a six-team affair.
“This year, though, there will be four matches for the Women in the lPL, involving three teams around the time of the playoffs. The venue is likely to be Pune,” Patel said
Also Read: IPL 2022 AUCTION UPDATE: HUGH EDMEADES COLLAPSES ON STAGE IN MIDDLE OF MEGA AUCTION
