NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League returns for its 16th season on March 31 with defending champions Gujarat Titans up against four-time tournament winners Chennai Super Kings, officials announced on Friday.
This edition of the money-spinning tournament will see a return to the home-and-away format which was stopped during the pandemic.
Its first match will be staged in Ahmedabad at the world's largest stadium, the home pitch of the Titans and site of their victory during their inaugural season last year.
"A total of 70 league stage matches will be played across 12 venues over the course of 52 days," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.
Each of the ten teams will play a total of 14 league games including seven home and seven away games.
Venues for the playoffs and May 28's final will be announced later, the BCCI added.
The IPL is one of the world's most lucrative sporting competitions and teams shell out huge sums to attract the sport's top talent including Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes and David Warner.
It has grown phenomenally since its inaugural season in 2008 and last year was valued at $10.9 billion by consultants D and P Advisory.
Top industrialists and celebrities such as Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan are among the tournament's franchise owners.
The BCCI is launching the inaugural season of its Women's Premier League from March 4-26, with $572.5 million spent in bids to own the league's five teams. -- AFP
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