Board of Control for Cricket for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released the residual schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL). According to a Cricbuzz report, no matches of IPL 2024 will be played abroad. All 74 matches have been scheduled in India, with the business end of the competition being played in Ahmedabad and Chennai.While the Qualifier 1 and Eliminator will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera on May 21 and 22, the Qualifier 2 and the final will be played at the Chepauk in Chennai on May 24 and 26.
Having released the dates of the first 21 games in the first lot, the BCCI has prepared a programme with the 22nd game starting straightaway, on Monday, April 8. Like the first part, the second part also starts with a game involving Chennai Super Kings. The defending champions will play Kolkata Knight Riders at the Chepauk on April 8. It will be a night game. Earlier, speculations were rife that the second half will be played in UAE.
The challenge before the BCCI was the security concerns in view of the General Elections in the country which will be held across the length and breadth of India in seven phases from April 19 to June 1, with the counting scheduled on June 4. The BCCI has done well to avoid overlaps with the election dates in particular centres in the seven phases while also commendably maintaining the home and away format.
As per the schedule, a couple of games are scheduled at Dharamsala, a traditional second centre of Punjab Kings, and the venue will host a couple of home games of the Punjab franchise, on May 5 (versus Chennai Super Kings, a day game) and May 9 (versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a night game).There are also two games in Guwahati, the Rajasthan Royals' preferred second base. They play Punjab Kings on May 15 and Kolkata Knight Riders May 19. Incidentally, the RR-KKR game is the last match of the league phase.Following a one-day break on May 20, the play-offs begin on May 21.
