After months of speculation and waiting, the IPL’s Governing Council has finally announced the schedule for the VIVO Indian Premier League 2021. After IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE, the IPL will be back where it belongs, India. The world’s richest cricketing league will be held in the glittering venues of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkata.
When will IPL 2021 start?
IPL 2021 will start on April 9th, 2021 in Chennai as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lock horns with defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). The playoffs and the final (30th May) of IPL 2021 will be held in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s largest cricket stadium. Perhaps no event is better suited for the grandeur of the Narendra Modi Stadium than the IPL.
How will the matches be played?
During the league stage, each team will play at a set of four different venues. Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bengaluru will host 10 matches each while Ahmedabad and Delhi will host 8 matches each. This is the first ever IPL in India where all the matches will be on neutral grounds. So even though there are matches being hosted at Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, none of the home teams will be playing there. All teams will play at 4 out of 6 venues during the league stage. Throughout the tournament, there will be 11 double headers and 6 teams will play three afternoon matches & two teams will play two afternoon matches. The afternoon matches will start at 3:30 PM IST and the evening matches will start at 7:30 PM IST.
What COVID restrictions have been taken for the IPL 2021 schedule?
IPL 2020 was successfully held in the UAE and the BCCI is confident that it will be successfully able to organize IPL 2021 at home and the necessary health and safety precautions will be taken throughout. The fixtures of the tournament have been planned in a way that every team will travel only three times during the league stage. This will go a long way in reducing travel time and risk of infection. IPL 2021 will be played in India without fans at the start of the tournament and a call on allowing spectators will be taken at a later stage of the tournament.
IPL 2021: Full Schedule
| DATE & DAY | MATCH | TIME (IST) | VENUE |
| April 9, Friday | Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 10, Saturday | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 11, Sunday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 12, Monday | Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 13, Tuesday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 14, Wednesday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 15, Thursday | Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 16, Friday | Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 17, Saturday | Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 18, Sunday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 3:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 18, Sunday | Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 19, Monday | Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 20, Tuesday | Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 21, Wednesday | Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 21, Wednesday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 22, Thursday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 23, Friday | Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 24, Saturday | Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 25, Sunday | Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 3:30 PM | Mumbai |
| April 25, Sunday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Chennai |
| April 26, Monday | Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| April 27, Tuesday | Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| April 28, Wednesday | Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 29, Thursday | Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals | 3:30 PM | Delhi |
| April 29, Thursday | Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| April 30, Friday | Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 1, Saturday | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings | 7:30 PM | Delhi |
| May 2, Sunday | Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3:30 PM | Delhi |
| May 2, Sunday | Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 3, Monday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 7:30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 4, Tuesday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians | 7.30 PM | Delhi |
| May 5, Wednesday | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | 7.30 PM | Delhi |
| May 6, Thursday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings | 7.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 7, Friday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings | 7.30 PM | Delhi |
| May 8, Saturday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals | 3.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 8, Saturday | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians | 7.30 PM | Delhi |
| May 9, Sunday | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | 3.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 9, Sunday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 10, Monday | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 11, Tuesday | Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 12, Wednesday | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders | 7.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 13, Thursday | Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings | 3.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 13, Thursday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 14, Friday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 15, Saturday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings | 7.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 16, Sunday | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore | 3.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 16, Sunday | Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians | 7.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 17, Monday | Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 18, Tuesday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals | 3.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 19, Wednesday | Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings | 3.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 20, Thursday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 21, Friday | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 21, Friday | Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 22, Saturday | Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals | 7.30 PM | Bengaluru |
| May 23, Sunday | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals | 3.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 23, Sunday | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings | 7.30 PM | Kolkata |
| May 25, Tuesday | QUALIFIER 1 | 7.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 26, Wednesday | ELIMINATOR | 7.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 28, Friday | QUALIFIER 2 | 7.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
| May 30, Sunday | FINAL | 7.30 PM | Ahmedabad |
