New Delhi: Two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will play all their Indian Premier League home matches at the Eden Gardens despite West Bengal going into polls during all seven phases of general elections.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday released the full schedule of the round robin league matches starting March 23 till May 5. As usual, there will be a total 56 matches that will be played during the six-week tourney.
Among the round robin matches there are 12 evening starts (4 pm matches) on the weekends.
The IPL operations team has ensured that no team plays their home matches at the alternate venues as the general elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19.
Even Kings XI Punjab, who had played a few of their home matches in Indore during earlier editions, will play all their matches in Mohali.
"The biggest challenge was to ensure that KKR gets to play all their matches at the Eden Gardens as West Bengal is the only state which is going to polls on all seven dates. However, with Calcutta and adjoining areas going to polls on May 19, we have been able to sort the issues with help of the government and local police authorities," a senior BCCI official said.
Schedule:
Saturday, March 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai, 8 pm
Sunday, March 24: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata, 4 pm; Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, Mumbai, 8 pm
Monday, March 25: Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab, Jaipur, 8 pm
Tuesday, March 26: Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi, 8 pm
Wednesday, March 27: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata, 8 pm
Thursday, March 28: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Friday, March 29: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabad, 8 pm
Saturday, March 30: Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali, 4 pm; Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi, 8 pm
Sunday, March 31: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Hyderabad, 4 pm; Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Chennai, 8 pm
Monday, April 1: Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Capitals, Mohali, 8 pm
Tuesday, April 2: Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Jaipur, 8 pm
Wednesday, April 3: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai, 8 pm
Thursday, April 4: Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi, 8 pm
Friday, April 5: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Saturday, April 6: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, Chennai, 4 pm; Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians, Hyderabad, 8 pm
Sunday, April 7: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru, 4 pm; Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Jaipur, 8 pm
Monday, April 8: Kings XI Punjab vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mohali, 8 pm
Tuesday, April 9: Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai, 8 pm
Wednesday, April 10: Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai, 8 pm
Thursday, April 11: Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, Chennai, 8 pm
Friday, April 12: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Capitals, Kolkata, 8 pm
Saturday, April 13: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai, 4 pm; Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mohali, 8 pm
Sunday, April 14: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata, 4 pm; Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Hyderabad, 8 pm
Monday, April 15: Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai, 8 pm
Tuesday, April 16: Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, Mohali, 8 pm
Wednesday, April 17: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings, Hyderabad, 8 pm
Thursday, April 18: Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Delhi, 8 pm
Friday, April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata, 8 pm
Saturday, April 20: Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, Jaipur, 4 pm; Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab, Delhi, 8 pm
Sunday, April 21: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad, 4 pm; Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Monday, April 22: Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Jaipur, 8 pm
Tuesday, April 23: Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai, 8 pm
Wednesday, April 24: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Thursday, April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata, 8 pm
Friday, April 26: Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai, 8 pm
Saturday, April 27: Rajasthan Royals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Jaipur, 8 pm
Sunday, April 28: Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi, 4 pm; Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, Kolkata, 8 pm
Monday, April 29: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Kings XI Punjab, Hyderabad, 8 pm
Tuesday, April 30: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Wednesday, May 1: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai, 8 pm
Thursday, May 2: Mumbai Indians vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai, 8 pm
Friday, May 3: Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali, 8 pm
Saturday, May 4: Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals, Delhi, 4 pm; Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bengaluru, 8 pm
Sunday, May 5: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, Mohali, 4 pm; Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai, 8 pm
