28 March,2023 10:23 AM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondent
IPL 2023 (Pic Courtesy: BCCI/IPL)
The stage is set for the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which returns to India again, a year after Gujarat Titans took everyone by surprise and outclassed Sanju Samson's Rajasthan Royals in a fairytale debut season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will resume the home and away games this season. All the ten teams have been divided into two groups comprising five teams each. Every team will play 14 league-stage matches, including seven home and away matches. The 16th edition of the IPL will be played across 12 venues over a span of 52 days.
The opening ceremony of the IPL 2023 is scheduled to be held on Friday ahead of the opening match between Chennai Super Kings and Titans. The cricketing quotient aside, fans will be treated to an eye-catching array of Bollywood celebrities at the grand opening ceremony. The opening ceremony promises to be a breathtaking visual extravaganza which will showcase actors, including Rashmika Mandana and Tamannaah Bhatia.
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The opening ceremony is expected to begin at 6:30 PM IST at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. It will be broadcasted live on Star Sports. Fans can also stream the ceremony online via JioCinema.
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As always, all teams will play each other twice in the league stage. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will qualify for the playoffs. The top two teams will play each other in the first playoff match, the winner would qualify for the final while the loser would get another opportunity to reach the summit clash. They would play the winner of the Eliminator, which will be played between the third and fourth teams in the points table, to seal their ticket to the final.
Matches will be held at twelve venues across the country - Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Mohali, Lucknow, Dharamshala and Ahmedabad. Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Hyderabad, and Kolkata will host seven matches each during the league stage, with Mohali and Jaipur playing hosts to five games each. Guwahati and Dharamshala will host two games each.
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