Super Kings to start IPL title defence against Mumbai Indians

Chennai Super Kings will start their title defence against Mumbai Indians in the inaugural match of the fifth edition of Indian Premier League at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on April 4, the Indian cricket board announced Friday.The tournament will feature nine teams and the final will also be held in Chennai on May 27. A total of 76 matches will be played across 12 venues. Kochi Tuskers Kerala, which made its debut in 2011, will not be seen in action this season as the franchise was terminated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last September for breaching its terms of agreement.

The league stage will comprise of 72 matches with each team playing the other eight in a home-and-away format. The play-offs would be hosted by Bangalore and Chennai.

While Bangalore will host Qualifier 1 – the table toppers from the league stage versus the second team on that list (1 vs 2) – and the Eliminator – the contest between the third and fourth placed teams (3 vs 4) – May 22 and 23, Chennai will be the venue for Qualifier 2 slated for May 25.

The new stadium in Pune, subject to the final completion, will make its debut as an IPL venue by staging all eight ‘home’ games of the Pune Warriors India. Dharamsala, Cuttack and Vizag will host two games each.

Schedule of IPL matches:

April 4 Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai IndiansApril 5 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi DaredevilsApril 6 Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors India, Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI PunjabApril 7 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super KingsApril 8 Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India vs Kings XI PunjabApril 9 Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai IndiansApril 10 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils Chennai Super KingsApril 11 Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan RoyalsApril 12 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors IndiaApril 13 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan RoyalsApril 14 Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India vs Chennai Super KingsApril 15 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan oyalsApril 16 Mumbai Indians vs Delhi DaredevilsApril 17 Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors IndiaApril 18 Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight RidersApril 19 Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors IndiaApril 20 Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers BangaloreApril 21 Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors India.April 22 Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight RidersApril 23 Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers BangaloreApril 24 Pune Warriors India vs Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan ChargersApril 25 Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super KingsApril 26 Pune Warriors vs India Deccan ChargersApril 27 Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai IndiansApril 28 Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers BangaloreApril 29 Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians vs Deccan ChargersApril 30 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight RidersMay 1 Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors India, Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi DaredevilsMay 2 Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI PunjabMay 3 Pune Warriors vs India Mumbai IndiansMay 4 Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan ChargersMay 5 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan RoyalsMay 6 Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan ChargersMay 7 Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight RidersMay 8 Pune Warriors India vs Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI PunjabMay 9 Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers BangaloreMay 10 Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super KingsMay 11 Pune Warriors India vs Royal Challengers BangaloreMay 12 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi DaredevilsMay 13 Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan ChargersMay 14 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super KingsMay 15 Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI PunjabMay 16 Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight RidersMay 17 Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers BangaloreMay 18 Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan RoyalsMay 19 Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India vs Kolkata Knight RidersMay 20 Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians

Play offs:

May 22 Qualifier 1: First Placed Team vs Second Placed TeamMay 23 Eliminator: Third Placed Team vs Fourth Placed TeamMay 25 Qualifier 2: Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1May 27 Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2.