Mumbai: Champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will kick off the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against former winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday as the Twenty20 tournament returns home with an expanded version following the addition of two new teams.
The entire 2020 edition of the tournament and the second half of last year's tournament were held in the United Arab Emirates as India grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mumbai will host 55 matches in three stadiums in and around the city, while Pune will host the remaining 15 league games which means air travel will not be required for the league's 10 franchises.
Fans will also be allowed to attend matches, with a 25 per cent occupancy limit, during the 2022 edition with COVID-19 restrictions easing in the country.
The IPL, which counts Bollywood stars and billionaires among franchise owners and draws the best cricketers globally, will expand to 10 teams after Lucknow and Ahmedabad paid a combined $1.7 billion to enter the world's richest cricket tournament.
CSK, one of the most consistent sides since the tournament's inception in 2008, defeated KKR to lift their fourth IPL title last year and Saturday's season-opener will be a repeat of the 2021 final.
"This match will be a momentous occasion as the 15th edition of the IPL will welcome the fans back to the stadiums after a brief hiatus owing to the pandemic," the BCCI said in a statement.
KKR will have a chance to take revenge on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium, with both sides going into this year's edition under new captains.
India's former World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni handed over the reins of CSK, who have also finished runner-up on five occasions, to national team all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in a surprise announcement on Thursday.
KKR will be led by Indian batsman Shreyas Iyer.
Royal Challengers Bangalore were also forced into a leadership change and named Faf du Plessis as their leader after India batting mainstay Virat Kohli stepped down.
Five-time champions Mumbai will continue to be led by India's all-format captain Rohit Sharma and the side will play 11 of their 14 league matches across three venues in their home city.
"It's a relatively new team, a lot of new guys have come in," Rohit told reporters. "70-80 per cent of the squad haven't played in Mumbai before. So there is no such thing as an added advantage."
