IPL 2022 to being from March 26, final to be played on May 29

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will start on March 26. IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel has confirmed the same to PTI, while the final will be played on May 29. The tournament will be limited to Mumbai and Pune and will be played across four venues, three in Mumbai and one in Pune.

As per the report, 74 matches will be played, thanks to a couple of new teams, Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT). In Mumbai, the matches will be played at the Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium, while the MCA Stadium in Pune will be the fourth. As for the final, it is likely to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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Meanwhile, sources have also confirmed that about 40% of spectators could be allowed inside the venues. While that's how things would start, given the COVID circumstances, it may be increased or decreased. It has also been suggested that if things go fine throughout the tournament, a capacity crowd can be expected towards the business end of the competition.

India had missed out on hosting regular IPL matches for the past couple of seasons after being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The logistical challenges, followed by the strict guidelines by the Indian government, made it difficult to conduct the tournament in the country. Also, with the health safety of players being the top priority, the BCCI thought twice about hosting it in India.

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While IPL 2020 was held entirely in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the BCCI had adopted the caravan-style travel system for IPL 2021 to conduct the matches in phases from one city to another. However, halfway through the tournament, around four-five teams' bubble was breached, leading to the competition being halted mid-way. Six months later, it was again shifted to the UAE, where it was completed.