IPL to begin on March 31; final scheduled for May 28

For the first time since before the pandemic, the Indian Premier League group stage will feature home and away games for each franchise

The sixteenth edition of the Indian Premier League will begin on March 31, five days after the conclusion of the inaugural Women's Premier League.

Reigning champions Gujarat Titans will face four-time winners Chennai Super Kings in the opening game.

For the first time since before Covid, the group stage will be a home-and-away affair, with the final – on May 28 – taking place in Ahmedabad.

All 10 franchises will feature on the first weekend of the tournament, with Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians facing off on Sunday, April 2.

As per the 2022 campaign, the teams are split into two groups; each franchise will play the teams in their own pool once and the teams in the opposite group twice, adding up to 14 round-robin fixtures.

^{Mumbai Indians won the last pre-Covid IPL (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)}

Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants comprise Group A.

Group B features Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Titans, Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The final date in late May means that the competition overlaps with the first six matchdays in the T20 Blast.

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