Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the 16th edition of the T20 league on Friday (17 February). The tournament is all set to kick off on 31 March 2023 with a match between defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Meanwhile, the summit clash will be played on 28 May.
The opening clash will be followed by a doubleheader on the very next day on April 1 with Punjab Kings taking on Kolkata Knight Riders in the first game of the day followed by a clash between Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals. Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals in their first game of the season on April 2 and on the same day, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Mumbai Indians in their first game of the season.
"The 16th season of the marquee event will kickstart on 31st March 2023, with a blockbuster clash between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad at Narendra Modi Stadium - the largest cricket stadium in the world," said BCCI in a statement.
It was also revealed that a total of 70 league games will be played in the 16th edition of the IPL. There will be a total of twelve venues during the tournament. Mohali, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dharamshala, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Guwahati will be the host cities for IPL 2023. The tournament will return to its old format where all participating teams play seven away games and seven home games.
Check the full schedule here:
As last year, the ten teams have been divided into two groups of five teams each. While Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants have been placed in Group A, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Punjab Kings are in Group B.