TIO
The two most successful IPL franchises – Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings – will battle in the IPL 2020opener on September 19 in the UAE, the BCCI announced as it finally lifted the lid off the IPL 2020 schedule on Sunday. These are the two teams that played the final of the 2019 IPL last year.
The IPL 2020 tournament opener between MI and CSK will be played in Abu Dhabi. (Full coverage of IPL 2020)
The 13th edition of IPL will be played in three different venue in UAE – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Dubai will host 24 round-robin matches – the most, followed by Abu Dhabi (20) and Sharjah(12). BCCI will announce the schedule of play-offs later. The final is slated to take place on November 10.
After the tournament opener on Saturday, Dubai will host its first game on Sunday when Delhi Capitals take on Kings XI Punjab followed by the third match on Monday between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The IPL action will shift to Sharjah on Tuesday, 22nd September where Rajasthan Royals will host Chennai Super Kings.
There will be 10 double headers with the first match starting at 3:30PM IST and 2:00PM UAE time. All evening matches will start at 7:30PM IST and 6:00PM UAE time.
All eight franchises reached UAE well in advance to adhere to the strict quarantine and bio-secure protocols. There were doubts over the on-time start of IPL as last year runner-ups Chennai Super Kings had reported 13 Covid-19 cases including two cricketers.
CSK, however, cleared all doubts by hitting the nets on Friday after clearing final rounds of Covid-19 testing. The Covid-positive players Deepak Chahar and Ruturaja Gaikwad however were kept in isolation and did not train with the rest of the players. They will resume training once they test negative and clear further rounds of testing.
This is the first time an entire IPL will be played in UAE. In 2014, the first half of the tournament was played in UAE due to general elections in India. In 2009, for the same reason, the tournament was played in South Africa.
Here is the full schedule of IPL 2020
September 19: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
September 20: Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
September 21: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
September 22: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
September 23: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
September 24: Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
September 25: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
September 26: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
September 27: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
September 28: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
September 29: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
September 30: Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 1: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 2: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 3: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, Abu Dhabi (3:30PM IST).
October 3: Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 4: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Sharjah (3:30PM IST).
October 4: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 5: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 6: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 7: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 8: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 9: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 10: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi (3:30PM IST).
October 10: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 11: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Dubai (3:30PM IST).
October 11: Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 13: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 14: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 15: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 16: Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 17: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai (3:30PM IST).
October 17: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 18: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi (3:30PM IST).
October 18: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 19: Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 20: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 21: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 22: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 24: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, Abu Dhabi (3:30PM IST).
October 24: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 25: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Dubai (3:30PM IST).
October 25: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).
October 26: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, Sharjah (7:30PM IST).
October 27: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 28: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Abu Dhabi (7:30PM IST).October 29: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Dubai (7:30PM IST).
October 30: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, Abu Dhabi
