Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yesterday announced the fixtures for the much awaited 18th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

As per the schedule, the premier tournament will kickstart with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Mar. 22 (Saturday).

Chennai Super Kings will host Mumbai Indians in a blockbuster clash in the opening weekend on Mar. 23 (Sunday), while previous season’s runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad will face Rajasthan Royals on Mar. 23 afternoon at Hyderabad. The 18th edition of IPL will end on May 25 with the final scheduled to take place at Eden Gardens.

This year’s fixture includes 12 double-headers, spanning 65 days across 13 venues. Dharamsala, Guwahati, and Visakhapatnam will each host a limited number of matches, with Dharamsala staging three games and the other two venues hosting two fixtures each. While Dharamsala will serve as home ground for Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals will play their select games in Guwahati, while Visakhapatnam hosts the first two games of Delhi Capitals.

The playoffs will be held in Hyderabad and Kolkata after the league stage.

Hyderabad will host Qualifier 1 and the Eliminator on May 20 and May 21 respectively, with the action shifting to Kolkata for Qualifier 2 on May 23.