IPL to resume on May 17 across six venues
IPL will resume on May 17 in Bengaluru after being suspended due to border tensions, with playoffs starting May 29 and final on June 3.
New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to resume on May 17 at Bengaluru announced the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.
The tournament was suspended with tensions escalating on the India-Pakistan border on Friday last week but with a ceasefire agreement being reached by the countries, the league is set to resume with the final scheduled to take place on June 3.
The remaining 17 matches will be held across six venues – namely Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The BCCI confirmed that the decision to proceed with the remainder of the season has been made after consultations with the government and security agencies.
The revised schedule includes two double-headers, which will be played on two Sundays while the playoffs will begin on May 29.
Originally, the final was set to take place on May 25 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata but confirmation for venue details of the playoffs will be announced at a later stage. According to the revised schedule, Qualifier 1 will be held on May 29, Eliminator on May 30 and Qualifier 2 on June 3.
The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharmshala was stopped midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.
Most overseas players and coaching staff have returned to their respective countries and it remains to be seen if they will return to play out the remaining leg and whether their Boards will grant them permission to return.
The revised dates for the playoffs clashes with England’s three-match ODI series against West Indies. The World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa will begin on June 11 and it puts the participation of players from the respective countries in jeopardy.
Gujarat Titans are placed top of the table (16 points), followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (16 points), Punjab Kings (15 points) and Mumbai Indians (14). A few teams had already re-assembled for practice sessions while waiting for clarity.
