IPL 2020 start date tentatively decided; Mumbai Indians likely to be involved!

December 31, 2019

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The year of 2020 is approaching, and in the Indian cricketing scene, a new years means a new season of the long running Indian Premier League. From its inauguration in 2008, the league has grown to be the biggest Indian sports tournament, with an astounding 462 million viewers in the 2019 season. In 2020, the 13th season of IPL is announced, and the first match will be held on 29th March, at the Wankhede stadium, where the defending champions Mumbai Indians will be taking on Delhi Capitals.

The inaugural date and the first fixture were confirmed by a Delhi Capitals official. “I am told that the 2020 edition of the IPL will start on March 29 at Wankhede,” the official spoke to IANS.

However, if March 29th is fixed as the final date of the opening match, this will have clash with the two series that will be ongoing in the month of March.

Sri Lanka is hosting England in their test series that will start on March 19th, and the second test is scheduled till 31st Match.

In addition to that, Australia will be touring New Zealand for their 3 day T20 series, starting on 24th March, and will end on 29th, the opening day of IPL 2020.

Thsi means, the cricketers from the four countries will be out on international duties, and are likely to miss out in the first few games.

However, a spokesperson from one of the franchise added that regarding the international series, the Governing body of IPL may reschedule the opening day to the usual 1st of April, as the previous editions of the tournaments used to start around that day.

Speaking to IANS, the official said: “See, while the Australia New Zealand series ends with the final T20I being played on March 29, the second Test of the series between England and Sri Lanka technically ends only on March 31.”

While it is expected that the 2020 IPL season will overlap the previous record number of viewers, the absence of eminent players in the lineup may turn out to be counter productive.

He continued- “In such a scenario, you start the season minus your big players and that isn’t a happy occasion. If we do start from April 1, the scenario looks so much better. Hopefully, the IPL GC will see what we are speaking about makes for a consideration.”