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The BCCI declared the schedule for the first part of IPL 2024 on Thursday. 21 matches will take place in the first 15 days of the competition. The remaining part of the schedule will be announced after the declaration of the Lok Sabha Election dates.
Each team is scheduled to play three to five matches in the first part of IPL 2024. While nine franchises will play their home matches at their respective home venues only, the Delhi Capitals have preferred to use Vizag as their home for their fixtures against Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Several mouth-watering clashes are scheduled to take place in the first part of IPL 2024. Here's a look at the top five contests to watch out for.
#1 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Match 1
The IPL 2024 season will kick off with a mega clash between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and three-time finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore. Chennai's MA Chidambaram Stadium will play host to this match on March 22.
The CSK vs RCB rivalry has entertained fans a lot in the IPL. Several big names like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Glenn Maxwell will be in action during this southern derby.
#2 Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians, Match 5
Last season's runner-up Gujarat Titans will open their IPL 2024 campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 24. It will be the first time GT take the field under Shubman Gill's captaincy. Also, it will be MI's first game under Hardik Pandya's leadership.
Fans across the world are excited to witness the beginning of new eras for two teams. Besides, the battle between captain Hardik and his former team GT will also attract many eyeballs.
#3 Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Match 9
Inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals will host the Delhi Capitals for a match at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on March 28. Back in 2022, RR and DC had an intense game, which saw Rishabh Pant calling his men back to the dressing room due to a controversial umpiring decision.
Pant missed last year's match between DC and RR, but he is back in the team now. The battle between Pant and Sanju Samson should be an exciting one.
#4 Gujarat Titans vs SunRisers Hyderabad, Match 12
A few months after helping Australia become world champions at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the duo of Pat Cummins and Travis Head will return to Ahmedabad to play for SunRisers Hyderabad against Gujarat Titans.
It will be interesting to see if the Aussie duo can maintain their top form at the Narendra Modi Stadium when they take on Shubman Gill's men in an afternoon match on March 31.
#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants, Match 15
Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants had quite a rivalry in IPL 2023. LSG beat RCB in a nail-biting encounter at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while RCB avenged that defeat at the Bharat Ratna Shree Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium.
The two franchises will go head-to-head again in Bengaluru on April 2. The likes of Gautam Gambhir, Avesh Khan and Harshal Patel will be missing from this IPL 2024 game, but the RCB vs LSG rivalry should entertain fans.
