New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have announced the fixtures list of the much-awaited eleventh season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday. The matches will be played at nine venues, across 51 days from April 7 to May 27, 2018.

“Defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on two-time winners Chennai Super Kings in what promises to be a marquee opening game of IPL 2018, to be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, April 7, 2018,” the BCCI statement read.

Meanwhile, fans in Chennai and Jaipur will once again get their share of the IPL frenzy as M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) and the Sawai Mansingh Stadium will host home matches of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals respectively. Kings XI Punjab will play their three home matches in Indore and four matches at home in Mohali.

Wankhede Stadium will be hosting the final this time around between the winner of Qualifier 1 and the winner of Qualifier 2, on May 27. The upcoming edition of the cash-rich league will feature 12 matches that will be played at 4 pm (IST) and 48 matches will start at 8 pm. For the entire fixtures list log on: http://www.iplt20.com/schedule

Earlier, during the two-day auction on Jan.27 and 28, first-ever champions Rajasthan Royals broke their bank to sign the likes of Ben Stokes and Jaydev Unadkat for Rs.12.5 crore and Rs.11.5 crore respectively, to announce their intentions after returning to the league following a two-year hiatus.

India batsmen K.L. Rahul and Manish Pandey also set the cash registers ringing after they were sold to Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs.11 crore respectively. Australia superstars also raked in the moolah during the auction — Chris Lynn (Rs.9.6 crore), Mitchell Starc (Rs.9.4 crore) and Glenn Maxwell (Rs.9 crore).