No more Saturday double-headers, IPL begins on March 29

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Defending Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Mumbai Indians will host three-time winners Chennai Super Kings in the first match of this year’s edition on March 29, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Tuesday.

The IPL will run six days longer than last year, it added, with the extra days necessitated by the decision to do away with double-headers on Saturdays, limiting them to only Sundays.

While the BCCI revealed the league fixtures it did not disclose the venue of the May 24 final for the eight-team tournament, which begins 11 days after India‘s home ODI series against South Africa.

The Steve Smith-led Rajasthan Royals begin their campaign at Chennai on April 2 with Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler expected to join the side after England wrap up a two-test series in Sri Lanka in late March.