IPL 2020 Schedule Announced: CSK to face defending champs MI in opening clash at Abu Dhabi

With just two weeks to go for the IPL 2020, the schedule for the 13th edition of the tournament has been announced. Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the opening clash of the tournament on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. Compared to the regular 8 pm IST start, the games will start half an hour earlier in the upcoming edition. The afternoon matches are set to begin at 3:30 PM IST while the evening games will commence at 7:30 PM IST. 

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.  In all, 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi and 12 in Sharjah, while the venues for playoffs will be announced later.

The scheduled 56 league matches will go on until November 4, post which the top four teams on the table, will qualify for the play offs. The first qualifier is set to be played on November 5, while the eliminator will be played on November 6. The second qualifier will be played on November 8 while the prestigious finale is set for November 8.

Full schedule of IPL 2020:

IPL 2020 in UAE

The cash-rich tournament, which was earlier postponed, has been moved to the UAE due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in India. The tournament is all set to start on September 19 while the final will be played on November 10. The BCCI has already issued an SOP for the tournament and has also allowed COVID-19 replacement during the tournament. Recently, Dream11 acquired the title sponsorship rights for IPL 2020 for a whopping amount of Rs 220 crore after Vivo's exit. This year's edition will also feature COVID replacements that have been allowed by the governing body in view of the pandemic. The matches are slated to be played across three stadiums: Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai. 

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