IPL 2021 dates out: 1st match in Chennai on April 9; May 30 Final at Narendra Modi Stadium

The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick off on April 9 from Chennai as BCCI unveiled the schedule for the marquee event on Sunday. The IPL Governing Council informed that IPL 2021 would begin at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). After nearly two years, the IPL extravaganza will return home with Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata hosting the marquee event.

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IPL 2021 dates: Inauguration, start date and final date

• IPL 2021 Inauguration: Likely To Be On April 8
• IPL 2021 Start Date: April 9 at Chennai - Mumbai vs Bengaluru
• IPL 2021 Final Date: May 30 at Ahmedabad 

The final of IPL 2021 will be played at the newly inaugurated Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 30, making it the first-ever IPL game to be played at the venue. Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches each while Ahmedabad and Delhi will host 8 matches each, between April 9 and May 30. In addition, every team is set to play at a neutral venue and all teams will play at 4 out of 6 venues during the league stage. 11 doubleheaders where 6 teams will play 3-afternoon matches & two teams will play two-afternoon matches are scheduled for the marquee tournament. The fixtures of the tournament have been mapped in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage, thus reducing commute and minimising risk.

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IPL 2021 schedule

Here is the full schedule & time-table for IPL 2021:

• Match 1. FRI 9-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - MUMBAI INDIANS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 2. SAT 10-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 3. SUN 11-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 4. MON 12-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 5. TUE 13-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 6. WED 14-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 7. THU 15-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 8. FRI 16-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - PUNJAB KINGS vs CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 9. SAT 17-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - MUMBAI INDIANS vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 10. SUN 18-APR-21 at 03:30 PM in CHENNAI - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 11. SUN 18-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - DELHI CAPITALS PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 12. MON 19-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 13. TUE 20-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - DELHI CAPITALS MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 14. WED 21-APR-21 at 03:30 PM in CHENNAI - PUNJAB KINGS SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 15. WED 21-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 16. THU 22-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 17. FRI 23-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - PUNJAB KINGS vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 18. SAT 24-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in MUMBAI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 19. SUN 25-APR-21 at 03:30 PM in MUMBAI - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 20. SUN 25-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in CHENNAI - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 21. MON 26-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - PUNJAB KINGS vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 22. TUE 27-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - DELHI CAPITALS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 23. WED 28-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 24. THU 29-APR-21 at 03:30 PM in DELHI - MUMBAI INDIANS vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 25. THU 29-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - DELHI CAPITALS vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 26. FRI 30-APR-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - PUNJAB KINGS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 27. SAT 1-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - MUMBAI INDIANS vs CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 28. SUN 2-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in DELHI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 29. SUN 2-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - PUNJAB KINGS vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 30. MON 3-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 31. TUE 4-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 32. WED 5-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vsCHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 33. THU 6-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 34. FRI 7-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 35. SAT 8-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in AHMEDABAD - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 36. SAT 8-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in DELHI - RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 37. SUN 9-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in BANGALORE - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 38. SUN 9-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 39. MON 10-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - MUMBAI INDIANS vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 40. TUE 11-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - DELHI CAPITALS vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 41. WED 12-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS
• Match 42. THU 13-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in BANGALORE - MUMBAI INDIANS vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 43. THU 13-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 44. FRI 14-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA -ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 45. SAT 15-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 46. SUN 16-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in KOLKATA -RAJASTHAN ROYALS vs ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE
• Match 47. SUN 16-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - CHENNAI SUPER KINGS vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 48. MON 17-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - DELHI CAPITALS vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 49. TUE 18-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 50. WED 19-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs PUNJAB KINGS
• Match 51. THU 20-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA -ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs MUMBAI INDIANS
• Match 52. FRI 21-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in BANGALORE - KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS vs SUNRISERS HYDERABAD
• Match 53. FRI 21-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - DELHI CAPITALS vs CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 54. SAT 22-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in BANGALORE - PUNJAB KINGS vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
• Match 55. SUN 23-MAY-21 at 03:30 PM in KOLKATA - MUMBAI INDIANS vs DELHI CAPITALS
• Match 56. SUN 23-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in KOLKATA - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE vs CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
• Match 57. TUE 25-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD QUALIFIER 1
• Match 58. WED 26-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD ELIMINATOR
• Match 59. FRI 28-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD QUALIFIER 2
• Match 60. SUN 30-MAY-21 at 07:30 PM in AHMEDABAD FINAL

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IPL 2021 auction

South African all-rounder Chris Morris smashed all records in the IPL 2021 auctions held on February 18 in Chennai. The Proteas power-hitter, who played a T20 international back in 2019 and represented RCB in the IPL 2020, became the most expensive buy in the history of IPL as Rajasthan Royals acquired him for Rs 16.25 crore. His base price was set at Rs 75 lacs. Morris dethroned Yuvraj Singh and Australian quick Pat Cummins to become the most expensive purchase in the history of the tournament. 

27-year-old Kyle Jamieson became the fourth-most expensive player in IPL history. The speedster has been bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 15 crores. The speed gun was targetted by RCB and Punjab Kings - both the franchises having endured the lack of a death bowler in the past - as they indulged in a bidding war. In 28 T20s, Jamieson has picked 54 wickets and scored 190 runs. 

After being released by Punjab Kings, several franchises had their eyes set on Australian power-hitter Glenn Maxwell. When the all-rounder went under the hammer on Thursday, it was no less than a war. It was RCB and KKR who locked horns over Maxwell, however, MS Dhoni's CSK gatecrashed only to increase the bidding amount by folds. Finally, it was Virat Kohli's RCB that acquired Glenn Maxwell's services for a whopping price of Rs 14.25 crores.

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