Chennai will host the IPL 2024 final on May 26, the BCCI said on Monday. The MA Chidambaram Stadium, defending IPL champions Chennai Super Kings’ home venue, has hosted IPL finals in 2011 and 2012.
Chennai will also host the second qualifier on May 24. The first qualifier on May 21 and the Eliminator on May 22 will take place in Ahmedabad.
The second part of the IPL schedule, comprising 52 matches, including the playoffs, will begin on April 8, with CSK hosting Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai.
Thereafter, the Knights will play five consecutive games at Eden Gardens.
The 10 teams have been divided into two groups of five each. Each team plays the other four teams in their group twice and four teams in the other group once while playing the remaining team from the other group — picked via a draw — twice.
CSK are grouped with Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. The second group comprises Mumbai Indians. KKR, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants.
As per the schedule, a couple of games are scheduled at Dharamsala, a traditional second venue for Punjab Kings. The HPCA Stadium will host the home games of the Punjab franchise, on May 5 (vs CSK) and May 9 (vs RCB).
There are two games in Guwahati, the Rajasthan Royals’ preferred second base. They play Punjab Kings on May 15 and KKR on May 19, the last match of the league phase.
CSK are set to play their last home game on May 12 against the Royals. Their last league game will be in Bangalore on May 18. If they fail to make the playoffs, the matches could be the last for Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Chennai and in the IPL, respectively.
