MS Dhoni's CSK will meet Virat Kohli-starrer RCB in the IPL 2024 opener at the Chepauk on March 22.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled the much-awaited schedule of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The BCCI released the IPL 2024 schedule for only the first 15 days of the elite tournament. The roster for the remaining matches will be announced once dates for the General Elections are finalised.
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Indian Premier League 17th Season
Set for its 17th season, the Indian Premier League promises to be bigger and better than ever. We are just a month away from Indian cricket's biggest T20 carnival. After all, it feels like just last month that Ravindra Jadeja struck a boundary off the last ball to take Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title, but the fact remains that it's been 8 long months to that epic night in Ahmedabad. Guess that's what the IPL does – leave an ever-lasting impact!
The IPL Will Not Be Moved Abroad
The IPL 2024's biggest roadblock was the fact that it is expected to clash with the Lok Sabha elections. Twice has it happened previously, and it led to scattered decisions. The 2009 edition was moved entirely to South Africa, whereas in 2014, the IPL was played in two halves – the first in the UAE and the other back in India.
In 2019, the two events did not collide, and hence the IPL, starting March 23, was played entirely in India. This year too, while there were speculations, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal clarified once and for all that the IPL will not be moved abroad, but the full picture will only be painted once there is more clarity.
Look Forward To This year's IPL
Back to the cricket. This year's IPL has so much to look forward to. Mumbai Indians have a new captain in Hardik Pandya and Gujarat Titans has Shubman Gill. And of course, the big swansong of MS Dhoni. The Chennai Super Kings captain said last year that winning the IPL in 2023 would have been the perfect time for him to retire but he plans on coming back for one last run 'next year'.
Cut to 2024, here we are. In what is Dhoni's final season in all probability, MSD is rocking shades of when he burst onto the scene. He has grown his hair like it was in the mid-2000s and he is likely to play with BAS as his bat sticker. Only Dhoni is capable of such meaningful and priceless gestures.
CSK's Biggest Rivals
Moving on to CSK's biggest rivals, the Mumbai Indians have already created headlines even before the start of the tournament. In fact, they created ripples on December 15, 2023 itself when they announced Hardik the new captain of the franchise, replacing Rohit Sharma. The decision created a social media storm with truckloads of MI and other fans spamming their franchise's timelines and being vocal with their displeasure.
But it is what it is. The team felt that now is the right time for MI, who have gone without a title for three seasons, to make the transition, and once Hardik came on board, they just knew who it was going to be. In fact, according to reports, Hardik's stipulation for his return to MI was allegedly a guarantee of captaincy.
The Costliest Player Of All Time
Outside of MI and CSK, the biggest factor heading into the IPL 2024 are the auction, that took place on December 19, where Pat Cummins and Mitchell Marsh struck gold. The Australian pace-bowling duo smashed records, with Cummins becoming the first player to surpass the 20-crore margin, eventually heading to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, even before the news if Cummins' record-breaking deal could reach to all parts of the world, it was bettered by Starc, who became the costliest player of all time, with KKR splurging a gobsmacking ₹24.75 crore on him. Meanwhile, Harshal Patel emerged as the most expensive India, with Punjab Kings shelling out ₹11.75 crore.
So yeah, the stage is set. Will Cummins, Starc be able to live up to the expectations? Who will be this year's breakout star?
Below are a few important pointers related to the IPL 2024 schedule announcement:
Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore will play the IPL 2024 opener at Chepauk.
Delhi Capitals (DC) will play their first two home games in Visakhapatnam.
The schedule was announced on Thursday at 5:30 PM IST.
The entire schedule was not unveiled by the BCCI.
The IPL 2024 will begin on March 22.
The entire IPL 2024 will take place in India.
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