The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the biggest T20 franchise league in the world, is likely to start on March 22 or 23 of this year. As per the reports, the schedule of the IPL 2024 is expected to be out soon, which would clarify the exact date for the beginning of the highly anticipated T20 tournament.
On Friday, January 19, TATA was confirmed as the title sponsor of the IPL for the next five years, which can be considered a major indicator of how swiftly things are moving behind the scenes for the league. Notably, TATA was the IPL title sponsor in the last two years, and they utilised the right to match to pip Aditya Birla Group (ABG), who was the sole bidder in the bidding process that culminated exactly a week ago.
Also Read: TATA to continue as IPL title sponsor for next five years
Just a month ago, on December 19, the IPL Auction for the 2024 season was held at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where all the 10 franchises were allowed to build their side after releasing players surplus to their requirements. The day saw a massive windfall of money on the two Australian cricketing superstars Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, who secured contracts over ₹20 crores.
Mitchell Starc became the highest-paid player in the IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders bid a whopping sum of ₹24.75 crore, while his captain in the Australian cricket team went to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for ₹20.50 crore. All the IPL franchises went on to spend a sizable chunk of their purse to make valuable additions to their squad in their quest to win the IPL 2024 trophy.
Moreover, Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions of the IPL, and under the leadership of MS Dhoni, they are expected to go all the way in the 2024 season.