Reports | IPL 2022 set to begin on March 26, Mumbai and Pune to host league phase

According to multiple reports, including Cricbuzz and ESPNCricinfo, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will begin on March 26, and the final is set to be played on May 29.. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has acceded to the demands of Star, the host broadcaster of the tournament, which had asked to begin the upcoming IPL edition on Saturday.

The decision regarding the timeline of the IPL 2022 was taken at a meeting of the IPL Governing Council (GC) on the evening of Thursday, February 24. 

However, the league phase of the IPL 2022, comprising 70 matches, would be restricted to only two cities: Mumbai and Pune across four different venues. These are the Wankhede Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, and the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Gahunje. 20 matches each will be played at the Wankhede and at DY Patil Stadium, while 15 each at Brabourne Stadium and at Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) ground in Gahunje.

Brijesh Patel, IPL chairman has also revealed that there will be crowds inside the stadiums, unlike the UAE leg of the last season. “We will also have crowds but as per the policy of the Maharashtra government. Whether it will be 25 or 50 per cent of the stadium capacity will be decided by the government instruction,” Patel told Cricbuzz.

As for the playoffs, featuring four matches, the IPL Governing Council has decided to keep its venue options open for now. A final decision on that, would be taken later based on India’s Covid-19 pandemic situation in April-May.